Bina Maniar-Goh
Co-Owner of
Alexis Bittar Boheme By Boe Carrie K CC Skye Doloris Petunia Dusk Jewellery Ettika Felz & Nez Fiona Paxton Francois Frue Frue Gerard Yosca Gorjana Heather Hawkins House of Harlow Isharya Janis Savitt Jenny J Johnny Ramli Karen London Kathy Kamei Kenneth Jay Lane Kiel James Patrick Lara Bohinc Lisa August Low Luv Manish Arora Mosstories Nicholas King Nicole Whisenhunt Philip Crangi's Giles & Bro Rachel Leigh Rachel Zoe Rush by Denis & Charles Setu Shira Melody Stoned by Q Tai Jewellery ThirtyFour Valliyan by Nitya Vanessa Mooney
Babe Bali Tomali CasLee Clutch Me by Q Desti Saint Devi Kroell Envelope Me by Q Eve Pek Fly Now House of Harlow Ipa-nima Johnny Ramli Katherine Kwai Kenneth Jay Lane Kotur Lara Bohinc Ling Wu Liz Saintsing Mia Villanueva Olga Berg Q Python Ridho Andrean Skipping Girl Sondra Roberts Tango ThirtyFour Thursday Friday Sereni & Shentel That Madonna Girl Dolce Vita Emblem Quintessential Sondra Roberts Yellowbox
is a multi-brand handbag and accessory store that pioneered introducing new to market brands and looks into the market. We started primarily as a handbag store with a small jewellery and belt section. Today, we also have quirky and bejewelled sandals. But handbags and accessories are our mainstay. We are all about the new and undiscovered so we always welcome up and coming new designers at Q. Local brands like Ling Wu and Carrie K launched exclusively with us when
they started. We also like to bring in brands that are indie and hyped like House of Harlow (which we introduced almost a year before it hit other retail stores in Singapore) or have a tradition or heritage like Kenneth Jay Lane (which was the late first lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s favourite brand of costume jewellery); as well as brands that we think simple style like Devi Kroell, Kotur and Clara Kasavina all of which we introduced into Singapore. As you can imagine it is important that the sourcing and merchandising is one of the key components to out brand’s individuality and DNA.
Tell us how the both of you met! On my gosh that was about 15 or so years ago when I was a retail journalist and Sharon was working for Cosa Lieberman and arranged an interview I did for one of the brands under the stable: Shu Umeura. We stayed in touch throughout and then when I left publishing and wanted to start a store with our other founding partner (who has since left) we thought of inviting Sharon to join us as she had relevant retail experience having opened and run counters for luxury retail brands.
How did you get started on Quintessential? We started Q as we thought and continue to think we have something to offer a jaded marketplace where every mall looks like a cookie cutter duplicate of another. Customers have been coming to the store because they want something different, non-branded with a design element that is different from what they have seen before. Like with anything what you buy reflects something of yourself…so our taste has been described as eclectic because we cater to all tastes the weird and wonderful, the understated and neutral but always the customer who wants something decidedly different to express some parts of her personality.
“We started out with no experience and no expectations and just opened the doors in Mandarin Gallery, but almost immediately the press and stylists liked what we offered and kept exposing our brand and finds in the local fashion media. This brought in customers who till today keep coming back.�
What was the biggest challenge faced in running a local start up? I would say the economic crises of 1997 was a low point for us but we kept soldiering on and with our customers and consignees we are still around. We had to look at our array and merchandise and react to the buying patterns of a cautious public. The crises took at least 18 months before customer confidence was back. There were many retail and service-based casualties during that time.
Something different but with more quality; the new customer is so exposed to media that you have to give them something unique and different as well; other retailers try to duplicate your brands or merchandising; there are new sources of competition within and outside Singapore especially the internet; if you have a bricks and mortar shop you worry about rental hikes etc, etc.
But that is not the only crises when you run a business. There are little things that crop up along the way: your customer profile is constantly changing the existing customer is getting a bit older and looking for
Businesses are faced with a constant onslaught of challenges and you have to be nimble to react and also not so stubborn or closed-minded about new ways of doing business.
What was the best thing that happened in your experience of running Quintessential? I would say that apart from the dream of having my own business albeit, a partnership it has made me wiser and a bit less naive about people. On the whole people are amazing and Q’s customers are the best as are our sales staff (both past and present) who continue to be in touch even after they leave. Some of them are our customers who are the evangelists for brand Q. In fact, in a small aside, our sales staff have worked for so many retail and service establishments but tell us that our customers are the ones they miss the most, when they finally leave. Many of our customers give us Christmas presents, eat treats, and drop by for a chat when they are around Orchard.
“Travel which elicits a sense of wonder; good design which makes me gasps in awe; amazing kindness and consideration from people; an overall sense of discovery each and every day!�
“My family, my huge bookshelf and always, desserts! Give me a book voucher and a lime tart and you can ask me for anything.�
What are you most grateful for in each other as friends and business partners? Respect each other as we are none of us perfect. Learn to embrace the imperfections and see them as strengths and celebrate them. Both of us are very open-minded to trying new things…labels, looks, consignees. Try, try never say die says I. Keep your word to each other….if you say you are going to do something do it…no excuses. If you give a deadline, keep it. It frustrates the other and all this simmers and may come to a boil when things are said and there is no turning back.
Always have each others’ back and have the hard conversations that can only be better for the business and friendship, and also always realise that the business does not define you, you define it. Just with a life partner make sure that your priorities are on par…family, fun, building the business. etc. Always make sure that the business values are in sync or there will be discord. Also, everyone makes mistakes…do not let that define you and the relationship move on. Have a broad strokes plan of where you want to be and work together to achieve it.
“Our Quintessential line is a design-led collection again featuring semi-precious stones and set over 925 silver. This collection will be seasonal with different pieces launched every quarter. We work with different designers so the collection is diverse and different and is offered in limited edition collections.�
Tell us about the Stoned by Q. collection! After having been in business for over 10 years and advising consignees on colours and styles that customers prefer, we put a small foot into the market by creating our own label of jewellery in October this year. The Stoned by Q (SBQ) collection is 18k polished over brass semiprecious jewellery that we tag as affordable luxury. Each piece features semi-precious stones and is pared down and easy to wear. There are necklaces, rings, bangles, cuffs and earrings in the collection. Prices start at S$39 and go up to S$149 with almost 90 per cent of the collection priced at below S$100.
SBQ is currently stocked at Robinsons Orchard but we are very keen to also branch out into multi-brand stores as well as organise pop-ups abroad in collaboration with other stores. In fairly quick succession after we launch Quintessential in February, we are rolling out own line of Clutch bags called Clutch Me by Q and sandals called Soled by Q.
What are your favourite picks from the collection? The SBQ bangles and stacked rings have proved very popular as have the earrings. My favourites are the (the more expensive and luxurious range) as it features bolder more conversation piece designs made with unusual stones like rough rubies as well as more dramatic, yet wearable cuffs. I LOVE big rings and super long ergonomic cuffs so cannot wait to see the sketches translate into the real thing.
“Dream it and do it and if it does not work out, don’t give up.”
What can we expect to see from Quintessential in the next 5 years? By the third quarter of this year our own lines will be launched and we will be ready to take our brands abroad and into other stores. We hope to do trunk shows by the end of the year around the region and in the USA.
Do you have any advice to those who are aspiring to chase their dreams and be good at it? I live by two adages: “Just Do It” and “Tomorrow is Another Day”. Dream it and do it and if it does not work out, don’t give up, try something else after taking your lessons from the first failure. Do not let the failure define you. Life is long and so many things will happen along the way….be nice to everyone as people reflect you and how you want to be treated.
Coffee / Tea Tea to relax and detox and coffee with 2 shots to wake up please, I love all forms of caffeine‌flavoured, kopi shop, canned, anything but all before 3pm daily or I will be bat-eyed, awake and exhausted the next day
Book / Kindle Books only, no downloads for me, I need the feel and heft of a book always.
Early Bird / night owl Super, super early bird. I blame my mum who put me to bed at 7 pm every night - my sister and brother fought all the way but I did not. I need at least 8 hours a night of deep dreamless sleep and I can go on and on and on. I get sleepy very early around 8-8:30 and I am usually asleep by 9pm. Don’t faint! and I sleep till 5-6 am and have my breakfast by 7 am and am starving by 11.
Minimal / Statement Minimal clothes and statement conversation piece jewellery and accessories…always something below the radar no signature looks or blinged out brands for me. Even though I love certain mainstream designers I will usually buy something that no one else knows is even part of the collection.
Hakuna Matata / YOLO Both, I am easy-going by nature and am not driven nor competitive, I only worry about family and their health. I also will try anything once whether its food, unusual destinations or climbing a mountain (even though I have a fear of heights) and then decide whether I want to repeat the experience.
Rewind / Fast forward Fast forward or course, no regrets “just do it� is my life motto.
Invisibility / Teleportation Teleportation so that I can get anywhere in time and as many places as I want. And also BIG one I can’t drive so need to Teleport!
Zombie / Vampires Vampires all the wAY! way before all this teen stuff. Read Anne Rice Interview with Vampire or Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series and watch Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. My dream is to go to Transylvania and visit the castle of Vlad Tepes – and yes it does exist and…I hope its not a Holiday Inn. Mind you I LOVE Walking Dead, but as a special interest group zombies have no personality whereas Vampires have too, too much!
We speak to new, underrated, obscured and sometimes popular local-based brands and personalities about what they do and why they do it. We want stories from them and we are hoping with fingers crossed - that they will tell.
If you are a young, struggling, almostthere or successful local start-up looking for an intimate platform to showcase yourself, Write in to us at hello@weekendcheoks.com to inquire for An opportunity to be featured on our blog.
This e-publication is a project undertaken by for non-commercial and selfish reasons. All contents in this publication is used with permission from the respective owners. All rights reserved.
The contents in this interview may be used as a reference for academic, corporate or personal use – with proper citation/credits given to us and the respective parties involved.
For a copy of the transcript in word/pdf format, kindly write in to us at hello@weekendcheoks.com with your name, company/institution, purpose of use and how you came to know of our blog.
Thank you!