Thicker Than Water

For Michelle Ong and her three children, Adrian, Amanda and Jennifer Cheung, family comes above all else

- Tara Sobti

Getting Michelle Ong and her family together in the same room at the same time is a big task. An acclaimed jewellery designer and gala fixture, not to mention a formidable patron of the arts, Ong has built a reputation that opens doors; all three of her children have inherited their mother’s unyielding gumption and sense of their place in the world, and they lead industrious lives spanning education, business and hospitality.

On the day of the Tatler photoshoot, fraternal twins Jennifer and Amanda Cheung, 30, are first to show up. Jennifer, a teacher, is off for Christmas, and Amanda, looking understandably sleep-deprived, comes straight from Pacific Place, where her new restaurant Wellwellwell opened in November to rave reviews. Adrian, the eldest at 32, arrives shortly after, followed by Michelle and her entourage: a personal assistant, her styling team and her business partner, Avi Nagar, who carries a selection of dazzling jewellery designs to embellish the women’s ensembles. David Cheung, Ong’s husband and the father of the trio, arrives last. Seated in the middle of the group, he says he feels like an emperor. “Ha! That’s wishful thinking,” comes his wife’s quick-fire reply. The room erupts into laughter.

Immediately recognisable by her trademark crop and penchant for statement jewellery, especially earrings, Ong bristles with personality. Her elegant demeanour belies a tough-as-nails approach that verges on intimidating for anyone who dares place obstacles in her way. She is known for being a tough businesswoman, decisive and laser-focused on her work; when Tatler met her, what became clear was that the driving force behind brand Ong is simple: her family.