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"I Quit My Job to Pursue My Passion for Fashion!"
Cyberspace may be cluttered with online clothing stores that inspire us with style collages, but it is sometimes the people behind them who are the true inspirations.
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Esther Chew, 24
Founder of FrockON
Weakness: Statement necklaces
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Esther Chew, founder of Malaysian-based online boutique, FrockON, is one of those who inspire. After experiencing an unexpected and complicated pregnancy with her first baby, she decided to quit her first full-time job and pursue a passion that she never thought could be realised. “I’ve always been interested in fashion, but never had the chance to indulge in it. I was more focused on building a career based on what I studied in university,” she says.
This rings true for many young adults today, who put the things they’re really passionate about on hold to pursue careers that are “safe”. Esther, however, decided that life was too short to not do what she had a passion for. “I didn’t want to wait till I was old before I did what I liked – I wouldn’t have the strength or energy then. Also, having my own business meant having more time for my child.”
Starting FrockON, like any business, was not an easy road for Esther. “Establishing an identity in the market was hard, especially since there are a lot of other online stores that have been around longer and had a larger, loyal customer based. Building up the brand definitely took a lot of time, effort and of course, money.” It was also initially tough to see her friends climbing the corporate ladder with stable salaries, but Esther did not let that deter her. “Stressing out about it isn’t the answer. I am a firm believer in hard work and I’m sure that it will pay off if I keep on trying hard enough.”
Esther and her husband
Luckily, she had the support of one of the most important people in her life – her husband, whom she describes as “her business partner a.k.a life partner. “Despite not knowing anything about women’s fashion at all, he has always been supportive of what I do and is always there to motivate me and to throw in ideas of his own as well.”
FrockON believes in giving its customers style, not fashion. “Fashion trends come and go but style is forever,” smiles Esther, who is a fan of Nicole Richie’s style. “It’s all about wearing what you love and what you’re comfortable with.” Besides their wide range of handpicked apparel, which includes well-known brands and independent labels from UK, US, Korea and Australia, it also carries its own self-manufactured designs as well as handmade jewellery under the Ethnicity by FrockON range.
FrockON has a creative team consisting of a photographer, designer, models and makeup artist
It’s still a long journey for Esther and her team, who hope to go into retail by the end of 2013. But this happy-go-lucky entrepreneur lives by her advice to others who aspire to start their own businesses: “Never give up. Surround yourself with positive people who can lift you up and stay away from people who only bring negativity into your life. Don’t always play safe and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to newer things. It’s not going to be easy, but always remember that whatever the outcome is, it is better to have a memorable failure than an unmemorable success.”
