ST Headstart: Do we all need side hustles?
Whisking cups of matcha on weekends and raking in sales, or acting professionally in theatre productions while also being a full-time software engineer - more young people are taking on side hustles as a way to find self-fulfillment outside their daily job. But do we all need side hustles? Find out more in this episode of our Headstart On Record podcast.
Moving out of the family home while unmarried is a topic with mixed views among young Singaporeans. My own year of living alone overseas was a lesson in freedom and independence that I did not get at home, yet I've since found comfort and happiness back in Singapore with my family. My colleague Sarah Stanley explores the guilt and freedom that come from moving out.
Finally, join us on Sept 6 for an expert panel on how AI is reshaping the future of work for graduating students and young professionals - and what you can do about it. Sign up now for this free event by Headstart and Workforce Singapore.
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Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Made In Singapore: Charles & Keith's risks and rewards strategy of doing business in crisis
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Looking back on his decades-long journey in shoes, Charles & Keith co-founder Charles Wong believes the brand's success abroad has to do with good timing and a healthy risk appetite. SINGAPORE – Mr Neeraj Teckchandani remembers the first time he saw a Charles & Keith store. It was 2003 and the chief executive of Apparel Group, a Dubai-based fashion and retail conglomerate, had been visiting Singapore for market research. The group had just secured the rights to launch Canadian footwear brand Aldo in South-east Asia, with Singapore as its first market. 'When we were doing the market research, the one name which popped up everywhere in our research with the landlords and consumers was Charles & Keith,' says Mr Teckchandani, who decided to visit its Wisma Atria store. 'It was crazy. The traffic was mind-boggling. We saw a huge potential in this brand.' That would be the start of a beautiful partnership that has lasted till today, with Apparel Group now the brand's official UAE partner, responsible for opening more than 70 Charles & Keith stores in the Middle East. By now, most Singaporeans will know and cheer the fact that footwear label Charles & Keith (C&K) is a proudly home-grown brand. Beginning in 1990 as a discount shoe store in Ang Mo Kio, it is today Singapore's most successful fashion export, with more than 600 stores in over 30 countries. They never set out to conquer the world, confesses chief executive Charles Wong. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF Singapore 4 housebreaking suspects taken to Bukit Timah crime scene under police escort Singapore To Vers or not to Vers: How will this scheme affect HDB prices? 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He was also busy growing the business in China over the last decade. The eldest of three sons – who clinched the top accolade, Businessman of the Year, at the 2024 Singapore Business Awards – returned during the Covid-19 pandemic to spend time with his ageing parents. His younger brothers Keith Wong, 49, and Kelvin Wong, 46, remained in Singapore to grow the business while Mr Wong was in China. Co-founder and chief operating officer Keith Wong leads the group's creative vision – from product design to store architecture to the overall brand aesthetic – while Kelvin Wong, who joined the family business later, heads bag design and technology. Reflecting on his almost 35-year journey in shoes, Mr Charles Wong credits the brand's success in international markets to a mix of good timing, good luck and a healthy risk appetite. After C&K was established in 1996 as a shoe label independent from the Ang Mo Kio store, Mr Charles Wong and Mr Keith Wong opened their first boutique in Amara Shopping Centre. Cash-strapped, they renovated it on a budget just shy of $50,000, and bought from their suppliers on credit. The Asian financial crisis struck soon after, but instead of getting spooked, they strode forward. Their father's friend, who operated and was scaling down the Giordano chain of clothing stores, offered to let them take over the lease of his unit in Causeway Point mall. A young Charles Wong in 2008. His brother and co-founder Keith, who leads the group's creative vision, has always been more media-shy. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE Rent was steep – $20,000 a month, Mr Charles Wong recalls. 'I thought for a week if I should take the risk. The uncle said, 'If you don't jump, you'll never jump.' So, I took the first jump at a high rental store.' Their forecasted annual revenue of $60,000 ended up closer to $100,000. 'It was a good motivation factor, that the first risk we took was right.' Risky business Risk would turn out to be an enticing constant in the brothers' lives. During the financial crisis, an Indonesian expatriate customer proposed franchising the brand to Indonesia once the market improved. Then in his 20s, Mr Wong was apprehensive in view of Indonesia's unstable economy, fresh from a string of bombings. The customer goaded him into agreeing by asking: 'You served national service, right? So, why are you scared? You're military trained.' The Jakarta store, their first one overseas, was a huge success – and has led to 43 stores in Indonesia today. 'You never know what you don't know, so you just have to keep an open mind,' says Mr Wong. Charles & Keith's first Indonesia store in Mall Taman Anggrek opened in1998. PHOTO: CHARLES & KEITH In the 2000s, while other brands were eyeing expansion into China, the brothers chose the Middle East. You could chalk it down to Mr Wong's unusual business strategy: growing during a crisis. After successfully penetrating the Indonesian market, he sought 'the next crisis' – and set his sights on the region which had been going through the Iraq War from 2003 to 2011. 'Shop locations are more affordable; hiring talent is easier as people are retrenched,' he says. 'I feel newcomers have an equal opportunity as established players.' After that first encounter at C&K's boutique in Wisma Atria, the brothers continued to impress at every turn, Mr Teckchandani says. They were an early adopter in digital commerce too, launching a website in 2004. Mr Teckchandani adds: 'E-commerce was hardly talked about then. There were no And we saw Charles & Keith embarking on that journey – that showed their vision, the forward-thinking, the strategic direction. That was very critical for us, how they were looking at building it as a global brand.' An early iteration of Charles & Keith's first website. PHOTO: CHARLES & KEITH At the time, the Middle East's retail landscape was just beginning to evolve from its street shopping and souk culture to organised malls. The newly announced Mall of the Emirates was being primed as a game changer in Dubai retail, and Mr Teckchandani was on the lookout for fresh voices. Competition bloomed in the fast-fashion space – from Zara's parent company Inditex to H&M Group – but not yet in footwear. C&K, he says, addressed the need in the local market for a South-east Asian brand that could cut through the noise of the West – with its trend-led designs, accessibility in pricing and commercial sensibility. When Mall of the Emirates and the store opened in 2005, consumers responded. 'It fit into that space of affordable luxury – with the feeling and ambience of a luxury store, but the prices were wow for the consumers,' recalls Mr Teckchandani. 'After that, we didn't have to pitch to the landlords. It was the landlords running after us. And then came Dubai Mall, and the rest was history.' It was also in Dubai that C&K first launched bags, to answer Middle Eastern women's needs for accessories to show off personal style while dressed in a traditional abaya. On Mr Teckchandani's suggestion, they expanded the handbag category, which now makes up close to half of C&K's business and is arguably what it has become known for among the younger generation. Charles & Keith's first operational Dubai store at Al Manal Centre. It opened its Mall of the Emirates store in 2005. PHOTO: CHARLES & KEITH 'Crisis is not necessarily a bad thing,' reiterates Mr Wong. 'It's also a good time to enter a market when the pace may be a bit slower. We have to take advantage during the downtime.' Such was his mindset when the 2008 global financial crisis struck. He considered moving to the United States then to expand into the market, but felt it was too far away. So, he settled for China, which proved another winning move. Today, the market accounts for more than 50 per cent of C&K's business. Luxury's stamp of approval A healthy dose of star power propelled C&K to global recognition in the 2010s, but what retail observers believe cemented its position was the stamp of approval from the luxury world. In 2011, French luxury conglomerate LVMH's private equity arm L Capital Asia invested in a 20 per cent stake in the company, raising eyebrows among the fashion set. The headline-making investment gave C&K 'fashion legitimacy on a global level', says Mr Kenneth Goh, editor-in-chief of fashion publication Harper's Bazaar Singapore. Harper's Bazaar Singapore editor-in-chief Kenneth Goh wears the largest women's size in Charles & Keith boots. ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOH A string of celebrity red-carpet sightings followed, starting with Game Of Thrones (2011 to 2019) actress Maisie Williams rocking a C&K bag to the 2016 Emmy Awards. It was not long before the brand was spotted on A-listers including actress Nicole Kidman and singer-actress Jennifer Lopez. Collaborations with emerging cult fashion designers such as Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen and Shanghai-based label Shushu/Tong, before they became 'it' brands, gave C&K further street cred. 'They've got the foresight to find that cool designer of the moment. It immediately injects cool into the brand, and you can't buy cool,' says Mr Goh, who wears C&K's largest women's shoe size, EU41, on business trips and to attend fashion shows abroad. 'They live and breathe and are submerged in social media. They communicate it via the people they dress, and it builds a community.' British actress Maisie Williams with the Evening Wristlet from Charles & Keith at the 2016 Bafta Tea Party (left) and Cecilie Bahnsen x Charles & Keith Upcycled Patchwork Anemone Mary Janes launched in 2020. PHOTOS: CHARLES & KEITH In 2025, C&K hit another industry milestone: debuting on the Met Gala red carpet. Its shoes were spotted on Colombian pop star Shakira and American singer-actress Nicole Scherzinger – another coup for Singapore, says Mr Goh. Looking ahead For all its successes, C&K has not forgotten its roots. 'We're very fortunate to be in this country, where Singapore has a great brand name,' Mr Wong says, noting that the Singapore branding set a high standard for customers in the region when C&K first embarked on international expansion. Its next move is building a product that can cut across all markets simultaneously. 'We like the Apple model – of lesser designs for the whole world,' he quips. No longer chasing numbers, he adds modestly: 'Having the right talent and mindset brings us a longer way than just setting high growth targets.' Back in Singapore to be closer to family, Mr Charles Wong is no longer chasing numbers. Instead, he wants to focus on designing quality products and experiences. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY What continues to impress Mr Teckchandani, who plans to open up to 115 new C&K stores in the Middle East in the next three to five years, is how grounded the brothers have stayed. He once witnessed them patrolling a mall in Dubai after operating hours to check on their store and scope out the competition. 'We work with 85-odd brands, but I have not seen any founder who has built such a large business, walking humbly in malls at midnight to see what are the latest trends in the market and the wants of the consumer,' he says. 'The responsiveness, dedicating years to learn and adapt, and the humble attitude are the secret recipe for their success.'
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
ST Headstart: Beating post-vacation blues at work
Welcome to the latest edition of ST Headstart, bringing you the best of The Straits Times' career, personal finance and lifestyle coverage every Tuesday noon. Sign up here to get weekly tips right into your inbox. Coming back to work after spending a week or two on holiday can be depressing. But instead of dreading your return, savouring the present moment during holidays helps you gain more from them and improves your happiness. Business correspondent Tay Hong Yi has more tips on how to make the transition back to work less painful in his latest askST Jobs column. Meanwhile, another way to find happiness is through bonding with pets. If you're looking for a new animal friend, pet shops, licensed pet breeders and animal shelters each offer different advantages. This writer recommends considering adoption, as careful screenings by shelter staff can help you find a paw-fect match. On another note, Headstart is at the Thrive@Libraries festival this Saturday, Aug 16! Visit us at the SMU Admin Building, Level 5 Foyer, from 9am to 6:30 pm. Sign up here for our keynote fireside chat on balancing big ideas with business realities, moderated by ST assistant business editor Alyssa Woo. See you there!
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
askST Jobs: How to deal with the dread of returning to work after a holiday?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox It is common for people to feel some unease when returning to work after a break. In this series, manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi offers practical answers to candid questions on navigating workplace challenges and getting ahead in your career. Get more tips by signing up to The Straits Times' Headstart newsletter. Q: I feel trepidation about returning to work after a holiday. How can I make getting back to work more painless? A: It is common for employees to feel some unease when returning to work after a break, says Ms Juliana Pang, a counsellor at mental health platform Intellect. 'Some of my clients tell me that they start counting down the days to their return, and this can make it difficult for them to enjoy the tail end of their vacation.' Other symptoms of post-holiday slump to look out for include mood changes, anxiety and ruminating about the impending return. Stress stemming from the mental burden of managing overflowing inboxes, backlogged tasks or looming deadlines could be the root cause of these symptoms, Ms Pang says. 'Others may worry about the challenging personalities they have to interact with on their return. Even when the actual workload is reasonable, the mental shift back into work mode can feel daunting.' Ms Pang says it is helpful to note the intensity and duration of any symptoms faced. 'If they start to affect your daily functioning and ability to manage regular interpersonal interactions, it may be a sign of something more serious than just discomfort. 'Being aware of how your mind and body react during this transition can reveal important clues about your overall well-being.' If these reactions become overwhelming or persist for a prolonged period, seeking support from a mental health professional can be a valuable step towards addressing the underlying causes of the stress, Ms Pang adds. It is possible to start making preparations for one's duties before the holiday ends to ease the transition, says Dr Vincent Oh, senior lecturer in psychology at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. However, he adds, this move reduces work-life separation. 'Personally, I would suggest that during one's vacation, one should strive to live in the present and cherish the joys of taking a break.' Dr Oh says research suggests that savouring the present moment during positive experiences helps people gain more from them and improves their happiness. 'It can be difficult not to worry about one's upcoming return to work as our minds have a natural tendency to focus on 'unsolved problems', and such invasive thoughts can happen even when one tries not to worry. 'It's okay to have such thoughts, and when they come, take a few deep breaths but slowly try to return your attention to the present moment and savour the joy of being on break.' It also helps to collect mementoes of the holiday, such as souvenirs or photos, Dr Oh says. This helps workers to relive the joys of their holiday after it is over. As for what someone can do when they clock in for work again, Dr Oh encourages taking a problem-focused approach to clearing tasks at hand. 'When we feel dreadful and overwhelmed by our work, it's very tempting to avoid it or procrastinate, but this ultimately prolongs the problem and doesn't solve it, which further worsens our anxiety. 'Rather, it is better to take an organised approach to getting things done.' Creating a checklist of tasks to be cleared, in order of priority, can also help provide a sense of progression and validate your success in getting things done, which eventually reduces anxiety towards uncompleted tasks, Dr Oh says. Ms Pang says another approach to consider is to begin with smaller, more manageable items to rebuild momentum. She also encourages scheduling one or two 'buffer days' to recharge at home before actually starting work again. 'Allowing time to recover from travel, re-establish routines and mentally shift back into work mode can make a noticeable difference.' She adds: 'Avoiding late-night flights before your first day back also helps ensure you're well rested and ready to re-engage.' It is also crucial to set aside time for self-care routines, even as you readjust your routine, Ms Pang says. 'Re-establishing healthy habits, such as exercising, having a regular sleep schedule, and a balanced diet, can help counteract the effects of jet lag or holiday indulgence. 'Incorporating mini-breaks like a midday walk or short breaks from the workstation can support both mental clarity and emotional well-being.'
