At Home With ... Ondina Montgomery

Ondina Montgomery is a woman on a mission to create beautiful resort wear. She runs her business from a studio on the grounds of a heritage black-and-white bungalow, which is where we meet for a chat.

- Kel Flanders

Tell us about your move to Singapore and the launch of MAH Collection.

I came to Singapore from Sydney with my husband 10 years ago, as he’s an international film producer and was setting up an office here. I’m originally from Denmark and I’d been studying design in Australia. When we arrived here, I finished my degree at Lasalle. I’d always liked fabrics and patterns, which led me to study interiors and textiles.

After I finished, I knew I wanted to open a company, so I started making scarves because I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of fashion. But Singapore isn’t really the right market for them – it’s more of a European trend. A couple of friends said I should make kaftans instead. It was a long journey – finding the right manufacturers, in particular, was lots of trial and error – but we got there.

And now you’re working on your sixth collection?