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Melissa Koh

Melissa Koh (born 16 May 1989) is a Singaporean lifestyle influencer and entrepreneur active mainly on Instagram and YouTube. As of January 2023, she has more than 266K followers on Instagram and around 14.9K subscribers and 2.2 million views on YouTube.[1][2] As an influencer, Melissa has worked with lifestyle, beauty and fashion brands on advertorials. This includes names like Tiffany & Co, Swarovski and Singapore Airlines. In 2017, she was an ambassador for Fujifilm.[3]

Melissa Koh
Melissa Koh.jpg
Born
Melissa Celestine Koh

16 May 1989
EducationDegree in Business Administration
Alma materCHIJ Toa Payoh Secondary School, National University of Singapore (NUS)
Spouse(s)James Chen (m. 2017)
ChildrenNoah Tobias Chen (b. 2019), Asher Matthias Chen (b. 2021)
Websitehttps://www.melissackoh.com/

https://somedaysathome.com/

https://runafter.love/
Melissa Koh on the front page of SHAPE magazine in 2015.

Background

Family

The oldest of 4 siblings, Melissa has two younger sisters and one younger brother.[4] Her father passed away when she was 2 years old. Melissa, her mother and grandmother relocated to Switzerland due to her mother’s work commitments at the time.[5] She is Catholic and attends the Church of the Risen Christ where she was engaged and married to her husband James Chen.[6] Melissa has a son, Noah, who was born in May 2019.[7] She had publicly announced her pregnancy on 8 January 2019.[8]

Education

Melissa enrolled into CHIJ Toa Payoh Secondary School when her family moved back to Singapore. She then furthered her studies in the National University of Singapore (NUS) where she majored in Finance and graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration in 2011.[9] After completing her tertiary studies, she worked as an equities associate at Credit Suisse for 2 years.

Personal life

 
Melissa and James' church wedding ceremony. Photo from Benjamin Barker.

During a university exchange programme at the University of Washington in 2011, Melissa met Jonathan Raedeke. The couple were in a long-distance relationship for about four and a half years before splitting up in July 2015.[10]

Marriage to James Chen (2017)

In October 2015, Melissa uploaded a YouTube video featuring her childhood friend and new boyfriend, James Chen.[11] In a 2016 interview with Her World, James revealed that he resigned as a finance analyst to be Melissa's paid photographer.[12] The couple were officially engaged at Church of the Risen Christ in September 2016.[13]

Melissa and James flew to Paris, France for their engagement shoot in collaboration with The Wedding Scoop. They were photographed by Claire Morris and filmmaker Chris from Zen Film Works.[14] In 2016, the couple held a private engagement event in Bali, Indonesia.[15]

Wedding

Melissa and James were married in August 2017. Their two-day wedding comprised of a church wedding ceremony, gatecrash and dinner banquet at The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore.[16][17][18][19] Melissa and James faced backlash for their "sponsored wedding". However, Melissa revealed that although there were sponsorships, the couple still spent a hefty amount on the wedding.[20]

Children

Melissa announced via Instagram that she was pregnant with her first child on 8 January 2019.[21][22] 3 months later on 29 May, Noah Tobias Chen was born.[23]

The couple welcomed their second child, Asher Matthias Chen, on 17 June 2021.[24] On 24 June 2021, Melissa shared on Instagram that Asher had gone for open-heart surgery on June 18 to treat a heart condition, and that he has made “positive progress” in his recovery.[25][26]

On 3 January 2023, the family revealed in an Instagram reel that Melissa was pregnant with their third child due later in the year, expanding their family to 5.[27]

 
Melissa and her son Asher on a beach. Photo from Instagram.

Passing of her second child, Asher Matthias Chen

In an Instagram post on 7 April, Melissa revealed that her second son, Asher Matthias Chen had passed away. Her Instagram story invited family and friends to attend Baby Asher's wake and funeral. The wake spans from 5-10 April 2023, and the funeral mass is to be held on 10 April 2023 at 2.30pm at Church of St Mary Of The Angels.[28] Prior to the announcement, Melissa had posted a cryptic photo on Instagram of her and Asher standing on a beach with a white heart emoji as the caption. Many messages of support flooded the comment section with friends and concerned netizens asking about Asher's condition.[29]

Career

Blogging

Melissa started blogging at about 15 years old and continued to do so throughout her time at Credit Suisse.[30] As of August 2019, Melissa's site consists of entries about motherhood tips based on her own experiences, home and living posts and style diaries, to name a few.

Through her social media platforms and her blog, Melissa has collaborated with brands such as Moët & Chandon, Hera Beauty, Revolve, Dior, Coach, Kate Spade, Tods, Carolina Herrera, Tiffany & Co, Swarovski, Singapore Airlines, The Belmond Group and various hotels and tourism boards. Over the years, Melissa has been featured in publications such as The Straits Times, The New Paper and Her World Singapore. In 2015, she was the cover girl for SHAPE magazine.

Businesses

Run After (2015)

 
Melissa at her Run After Launch Party in 2018. Photo from Melissackoh.com.
Initial launch (2015)

In 2015, Melissa launched the first collection of her fashion label 'Run After' at Digital Fashion Week Singapore.[31] Melissa partnered with ELLE for Digital Fashion Week Singapore where the 'Cruise 2016' collection walked the runway.[32]

This first collection was available for purchase on Zalora and at the Buro pop-up in Scotts Square.[33]

Relaunch (2018)

Melissa relaunched the brand in 2018 after a one-year hiatus from the business.[34] To her, the name Run After symbolises the act of pursuit and the vision of the fashion label to inspire customers to chase their dreams.[35] The fashion label prioritises high-quality fabric and textiles for its apparel range.[36] The label features a range of tops, bottoms and dresses ranging from S$79 to S$149.

As of 2023, Run After is defunct and is assumed to have been for quite some time, since their website domains are inaccessible.

Some Days at Home (2018)

Melissa launched her home and lifestyle brand 'Some Days at Home' in 2018. Described as her passion project, Some Days at Home is a site for Melissa to curate local brands and promote their products. The project is a way for her to feature smaller brands with high-quality products that she can vouch for.[37]

As of August 2019, the site features products ranging from up-cycled wood earrings to soaps made by single mothers. Melissa revealed that the profits made from the online store will be donated to The Assisi Hospice.[38]

Like Run After, Some Days at Home is assumed to be defunct and inactive for a while now, and their website domains are inaccessible as of 2023.

Little for Longer (2021 - Present)

In 2021, Melissa launched kids lifestyle brand Little for Longer with her husband James.[39] The online store sells various kids’ apparel and minimalist furniture items designed for kids.[40]

“Feeling the nostalgia of our firstborn growing up so quickly into an older brother, we wanted to cherish every bit of his growing up moments, filling his time and space with little things that help him to develop and engage, while keeping all these beautiful milestones close to heart. We hope to be able to bring the same joy of our little one’s most magical years through products that we curate and share.”[40]

References / Citations

  1. ↑ melissackoh. Instagram. n.d. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “About”. YouTube. n.d. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  3. ↑ Koh, Melissa. "FUJIFILM INSTAX SQ10". Melissa C. Koh. May 12, 2017. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  4. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “Old Wives’ Tale & Pregnancy Myths | Melissackoh”. YouTube. March 6, 2019. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  5. ↑ melissackoh. “Day 43”. DAYRE. February 12, 2014. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  6. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “THE PROPOSAL: I SAID YES!”. YouTube. October 9, 2016. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  7. ↑ Koh, Melissa. "BABY NOAH’S BIRTH STORY". Melissa C. Koh. June 27, 2019. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  8. ↑ Koh, Melissa. "SOMETHING’S BAKING! 🎊". Melissa C. Koh. January 8, 2019. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  9. ↑ "Melissa Celestine Koh". LinkedIn. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  10. ↑ melissackoh. “Day 320”. DAYRE. November 16, 2015. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  11. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “Couple Q&A: You asked, we answered”. YouTube. February 10, 2017. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  12. ↑ Loh, Aretha. “WANT TO BE AN INSTA-STAR? YOU NEED AN INSTA-BOYFRIEND!”. Her World. September 28, 2016. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  13. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “THE PROPOSAL: I SAID YES!”. YouTube. October 9, 2016. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  14. ↑ “PARIS PRE-WEDDING PHOTO-SHOOT COLLABORATION WITH THE WEDDING SCOOP”. Claire Morris Photography. December 5, 2016. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  15. ↑ “MELISSA C. KOH AND JAMES CHEN'S ENGAGEMENT PARTY IN BALI”. Bride Story. May 2, 2017. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  16. ↑ Leviani, Karina. “MELISSA C. KOH AND JAMES CHEN’S MAGICAL WEDDING IN SINGAPORE”. Bridestory. August 15, 2017. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  17. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “Our Wedding Day | ..of 14 years in the making”. YouTube. August 16, 2017. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  18. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “GATECRASH HIGHLIGHTS | Officially Married to The LOVE of My Life”. YouTube. August 19, 2017. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  19. ↑ Melissa Celestine Koh. “Our Wedding | A Celebration of Our Union”. YouTube. October 6, 2017. Accessed on 11 March 2019.
  20. ↑ Singh, Bryna. "Sponsored weddings are on the rise but should guests still pay the hongbao price?". The Straits Times. September 7, 2017. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  21. ↑ melissackoh. “So here's a little secret we've been keeping for some time now: we’re becoming a family of 3! 👶🏻🤰🏻❤️✨@jamesbabschen and I are so happy and full of excitement! Praise God for all the wonderful things that come from Him! #pregnancyreveal #pregnancyannouncement #melspregnancyjourney”. Instagram. January 8, 2019. Accessed on 3 January 2023.
  22. ↑ “Influencer Melissa Koh Reveals Her Pregnancy In Joyful Instagram Post”. Mustsharenews. January 9, 2019. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  23. ↑ noahtobiaschen. “Hello world, this is the very first photo my mama captured of me! #babybabschen”. Instagram. June 17, 2019. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  24. ↑ ashermatthiaschen. Instagram. n.d. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  25. ↑ melissackoh. “It was the most bittersweet moment welcoming baby Asher into this world and shortly after having to face a daunting reality. (Swipe this post for details)”. Instagram. June 24, 2021. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  26. ↑ Villar, Ally. “Influencer Melissa Koh welcomes second baby but it was a 'bittersweet moment'”. AsiaOne. June 28, 2021. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  27. ↑ melissackoh. “A little secret we’ve been keeping: Our little family is growing 👶🏻 We’re soon becoming a family of 5!”. Instagram. January 3, 2023. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  28. ↑ Lee, Jeremy. "Influencer Melissa Koh Says Her Son Has Passed Away, He Had A Heart Condition". Must Share News. April 7, 2023. Accessed 7 April 2023.
  29. ↑ melissackoh. "🤍". Instagram. April 6, 2023. Accessed 7 April 2023.
  30. ↑ Er, Carrie. "Top Blog: Getting to Know Melissa Koh from Melissackoh.com". Alvinology. April 12, 2017. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  31. ↑ Bruce, Niki. "MELISSA CELESTINE KOH IS LAUNCHING HER VERY OWN FASHION LABEL". HER WORLD. October 22, 2015. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  32. ↑ Digital Fashion Week. "Run After by Melissa Koh presented by ELLE | #DigitalFashionWeek Singapore 2015 (HD)". YouTube. January 26, 2016. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  33. ↑ Sim, Andrea. "Buro pop-up x Run After: Discover the collection and meet founder Melissa C. Koh". BURO 24/7. November 6, 2015. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  34. ↑ Koh, Melissa. "RUN AFTER LAUNCH PARTY". Melissa C. Koh. March 4, 2018. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  35. ↑ Leong, Ashleey. "Interview With Melissa Koh: The Launch of Run After". Alvinology. December 2, 2015. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  36. ↑ Bruce, Niki. "MELISSA CELESTINE KOH IS LAUNCHING HER VERY OWN FASHION LABEL". HER WORLD. October 22, 2015. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  37. ↑ Koh, Melissa. "THE BIG REVEAL: MY VERY OWN HOME AND LIFESTYLE BRAND – SOME DAYS AT HOME". Melissa C. Koh. December 21, 2018. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  38. ↑ Koh, Melissa. "THE BIG REVEAL: MY VERY OWN HOME AND LIFESTYLE BRAND – SOME DAYS AT HOME". Melissa C. Koh. December 21, 2018. Accessed on 7 August 2019.
  39. ↑ littleforlonger. Instagram. n.d. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 “our story”. Little for Longer. n.d. Accessed on 5 January 2023.
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