Velda Tan (Singapore Entrepreneur)
Velda Tan (born September 1987) is a Singaporean entrepreneur and clothing designer with over a decade of experience in the e-commerce and fashion industries. For her contributions to these industries, she was featured on the Gen.T List of young industry leaders in 2016.[1] Velda is the founder of the women's wear line, Collate The Label and the co-founder of the lifestyle brand, Our Second Nature. In 2020, she was listed on Prestige Online's '40 Under 40' list.[2] As of September 2020, Velda has 160,000 followers on Instagram.
Velda Tan | |
---|---|
Born | September 1987 |
Education | GCE Advanced Level |
Alma mater | Pioneer Junior College |
Spouse(s) | Frederick Yap (m. 2012) |
Background
Family
Velda Tan is the second-born child in her family. She has an older sister, Viola, and a younger sister, Vanya.[3]
Personal life
Velda Tan is married to Frederick Yap with whom she has a daughter. The couple tied the knot in 2012 at Grand Hyatt Singapore where her two sisters and best friend-turned-business partner, Rachel Lim were her bridesmaids.[4] Velda and Frederick worked together at Love, Bonito before leaving the company in 2013. They then made a joint venture into the food and beverage industry, setting up a restaurant called Pince & Pints.[5] While Velda helped with the initial branding of the business, her husband runs the daily operations.[6] Velda is also a motorcycle enthusiast.[7]
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
In a 2017 Instagram post, Velda shared that she suffered from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS),[8] a condition that results in infertility and at times, the development of cysts in the ovaries.[9] An excerpt from the post reads as such:
“I found out I had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) at my first proper gynae [sic] check 5 years ago, when Fred and I got married. This condition was a result of the stress of running my first business & my genetic make… I was put on horrible cycles of medication to stimulate egg growth, with no result, only more pain, more weight gain, and cycle after cycle of disappointment.”[10]
After seeing two gynaecologists and multiple rounds of treatment,[11] Velda successfully conceived in 2017 and gave birth to Ellery Grace Yap in January 2018.[12]
Education
Velda Tan was a student at Methodist Girls’ School and Pioneer Junior College. She furthered her studies at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) but dropped out after two years.[6][13] Between 2013 and 2014, Velda attended two courses at Central Saint Martins, a college in London where she studied drawing, pattern-making and brand management.[6][14]
Career
Love, Bonito (2006 - 2013)
Velda Tan co-founded the predecessor of Love, Bonito, BonitoChico, alongside her sister, Viola Tan and her best friend, Rachel Lim in 2006.[15] At the time, Velda was still a student in university. After leading the company through its rebranding in 2010 with her two partners, Velda Tan left Love, Bonito in 2013 to work independently as a fashion designer.[7] In an interview with High Net Worth that was published in 2015, Velda shared more about her decision to leave the company, saying:
“When I left Love, Bonito, it really crushed me. I had a hard time adjusting. . . I made the decision with no regrets, but I did not understand why my inner voice was telling me to leave.”[6]
Collate the Label (2015 - current)
Velda Tan founded Collate The Label in 2015, two years after leaving her position at Love, Bonito.[16] The label made its runway debut at the 2015 iteration of Singapore Fashion Week where the brand presented 22 looks from its Pre Fall 2015 line.[17][18][19] The same year, Collate the Label opened its first pop-up store at Tangs Orchard.[20] The home-grown brand was also chosen to participate at Coterie, a three-day trade show in New York that was held in September 2015.[21] Collate the Label releases its collections four times a year according to various seasons - spring/summer, pre-fall, fall/winter and holiday.[20] As of September 2020, Collate the Label has over 31,000 followers on its Instagram page and retails online.
Our Second Nature (2017 - current)
In 2017, Velda Tan founded Our Second Nature alongside co-founder, Lauren Tan. Velda leads the design, merchandising, brand and marketing teams in the company.[2] Over the years, Our Second Nature has launched a retail space called 'Our Second Corner, at Boutique Fairs[22][23] while also retailing their products at various pop-up stores at various locations in Singapore. The following is a list of Our Second Nature's pop-up spaces.
Year | Store | Location | Refs. |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Our Stop For A Second | Takashimaya shopping centre | [24] |
2018 | Our Second Hangout | Ann Siang Hill | [25] |
Our Second Wave | TANGS at Tang Plaza | [26] | |
2017 | - | The Glasshouse, CHIJMES | [27] |
In 2018, Our Second Nature opened its permanent walk-in boutique, Our Second Home, at Chip Bee Gardens.[28] The physical store boasts a retail space and an in-house café for patrons.[29] As of September 2020, Our Second Nature has over 64,000 followers on its Instagram page.
References/ Citations
- ↑ "Velda Tan". Generation T Asia. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Velda Tan". Prestige Online. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ belluspuera. "The women in my life; my biggest inspiration.". Instagram. January 25, 2019. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "A Stylish Wedding at Grand Hyatt Singapore: Fred and Velda". The Wedding Scoop. September 20, 2013. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Lee, Patricia. "The Story Behind Pince & Pints and That Lobster Roll". Female Singapore. April 30, 2015. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Yap, Wy-Lene. "Velda Tan: A Vision Unveiled". High Net Worth. August 27, 2015. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chong Seow Wei. "A Drink With... Velda Tan". Singapore Tatler. June 8, 2017. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "Velda Tan’s Story About Her Rocky First Pregnancy Is So Inspiring". Harper's Bazaar Singapore. July 11, 2017. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "Polycystic ovary syndrome". Office on Women's Health. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ belluspuera. "Feeling so loved & very blessed". Instagram. Jul 9, 2017. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Leong, Audrey. "This Is How Singapore Fashion Influencer Velda Tan Has Been Coping With Her Pregnancy". Women's Weekly. October 23, 2017. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ belluspuera. "My dearest Ellery, you are a living testimony of God’s immense love and abounding grace.". Instagram. January 25, 2018. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Peter-Berntzen, Jassmin. "Celeb mum-to-be Velda Tan: I’ll tell my daughter not to quit school, unlike me". Smart Parents. December 2, 2017. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "VELDA TAN". Prestige Online. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Cheng, Fontain. "Startup Life: Rachel Lim, Co-Founder of Women’s Fashion Brand Love, Bonito". Prestige. July 30, 2019. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "Girl Talk: Velda Tan from Collate The Label". Harper's Bazaar. May 16, 2015. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Koh, Dana. "The Time Is Now: Velda Tan Talks Empowering Women With Her New Venture". Harper's Bazaar Singapore. July 20, 2016. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "Backstage At Collate The Label Pre Fall 2015". Harper's Bazaar Singapore. May 17, 2015. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Chia, Stacey and Leslie Kay Lim. "Collate The Label at Tangs". The Straits Times. May 24, 2015. Accessed on 17 September 2020. Retrieved from AsiaOne.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Aljoofri-Shrestha, Dora. "First look: Interview with Velda Tan and the launch of Collate The Label". Buro. May 15, 2015. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Hon Jing Yi. "S’pore fashion brand Collate The Label going to New York’s Coterie show". TODAY. July 24, 2015. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "OSN POP-UP PARTY: Boutique Fairs". Our Second Nature. April 4, 2019. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "BOUTIQUE FAIRS: Our Second Corner". Our Second Nature. December 2, 2019. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "OUR NEW SPACE: Our Stop For A Second". Our Second Nature. October 25, 2019. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "OUR NEW SPACE: Our Second Hangout". Our Second Nature. December 18, 2018. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "OUR SECOND WAVE: The Story". Our Second Nature. July 5, 2018. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "OSN POP-UP PARTY: The Glasshouse". Our Second Nature. October 25, 2017. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ "OUR SECOND HOME: The Story". Our Second Nature. April 18, 2018. Accessed on 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Shiya. "Our Second Home: Visit This Local Brand’s Beautiful Retail Space & In-House Cafe In Holland Village". Hype & Stuff. Accessed on 17 September 2020.