DONNA CHUA, 22, COMPUTER SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE, UI/UX INTERN, AND FOUNDER AND DESIGNER OF THE FASHION LABEL EPIC AND THE SEMI‑PERMANENT TATTOO BRAND EPICINK
HER ACHIEVEMENTS: She started her Y2K‑inflected label Epic four years ago – when she was in her final year of the International Baccalaureate programme at the School of the Arts Singapore. These days, the online business (epicgirl.club/) has not only gained a cult following for its Teyana Taylor-esque metallic bikinis and vintage-wash basics printed with cyber sigilism motifs, but also expanded to include semi-permanent tattoos of the same aesthetic sold under the sub-label Epicink. Everything is designed by this self-starter, one-woman show. If that’s not impressive enough, she juggles running this burgeoning fashion empire with an internship in UI/UX design – a stint that will last till the end of the year – as part of her course as a computer science undergraduate at Nanyang Technological University.
IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNT: “Not all product drops will do well; some might barely make a profit, which can be disheartening, but I’ve learnt that flops happen and I have to just keep on going. One other painful realisation has been that not everyone appreciates and can see the value and worth of an original design, especially with the increasingly rapid rise of microtrends and fast fashion.”
IS SCHOOL IMPORTANT? “I don’t believe that educational qualifications make or break one’s future, but education can get one far, land you a stable job and help in daily life. Stay in school!”
BRENDAN MAYLE KOR, 27, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SPATIAL DESIGNER, AND CO‑FOUNDER OF THE PRODUCTION HOUSE CHUN‑KIE FILMHOUSE AND THE PHOTO STUDIO SAY CHUNKIE! STUDIO
This story is from the July 2024 edition of Female Singapore.
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This story is from the July 2024 edition of Female Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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