Creative Capital: These siblings want to make their sunglasses the next big thing 'since chicken rice'
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CNA Lifestyle
Creative Capital: These siblings want to make their sunglasses the next large matter 'since craven rice'
Meet En Ming Ong and Ong Ker-Shing, the brother-and-sis squad behind Rocket Eyewear Company, a homegrown sunnies brand that'southward turning heads.
Rocket Eyewear Company'due south siblings Ong En Ming (left) and Ong Ker-Shing. (Photo: Rocket Eyewear Company)
03 Mar 2022 06:10AM (Updated: 09 Jul 2022 12:40AM)
Rocket Eyewear is fast becomingthe cool kids' brand in the Lion City, but it all started from a simple desire: Siblings Ong Ker-Shing and En Ming Ong noticed their mother kept losing her sunglasses and wanted to give her one.
All their life, she only wore one style of frames, the P3. First developed by the British military, it has long become one of the most iconic styles of glasses (and sunglasses) around, and celebs ranging from John F Kennedy to Grace Kelly and James Dean have all been spotted sporting P3s.
The siblings – who had too collaborated on the popular merely now-defunct chilli sauce business Two Rabbits Smoky Chilli – decided to make their own version of these frames as a souvenir for their mother. She liked them so much, she asked for a few more pairs. The rest is history. Rocket sells only one style, the P3, but in a myriad of colors and, smartly, two types of olfactory organ bridges.
Today, Shing juggles duties as Rocket Eyewear's chief designer with her other responsibilities equally a partner in the architecture firm Lekker and numerous teaching gigs, while Ming runs the company.
Here, in CNA Lifestyle's series, where nosotros speak with creatives making their mark in Singapore, the Ong siblings talk nearly turning Rocket Eyewear Company into "Singapore's biggest export since chicken rice".
HOW Do Y'all CREATE THE SUNGLASSES? WHAT'S THE Procedure LIKE?
Ming: In hindsight, choosing to focus on simply ane shape has added a magical simplicity to our production. Whereas other companies have to spread their energies across various unlike SKUs (stock keeping units), we focus all our energy on making a single kickass product.
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In terms of what we do, Shing comes upwardly with the colours, and I piece of work with the manufacturer to turn the concepts into reality. Regarding manufacturing, nosotros were very lucky because we have a family friend based in People's republic of china whose family has been in the eyewear industry for over thirty years.
We recall Singaporeans are excited to become behind a make like Rocket because information technology'south aspirational and accurate at the same time.
She liked our idea and through her, we had the privilege to piece of work directly with the all-time manufacturers from the beginning – the very same ones who make for the earth's biggest luxury brands.
Practise Yous Recollect YOU'LL Eventually ADD Another STYLE TO THE Drove?
Ming: Right from the offset, we decided we wanted to start a hyper-focused company that specialised in doing ane thing really well. Information technology may non exist the smartest business organization decision, merely we don't plan on calculation more than styles to Rocket.
We built this make because we believe that people should have access to gorgeous, functional glasses that won't break the bank. Rockets are based on a classic, flattering shape designed with a travel-inspired twist.
We recall of our sunglasses a little similar a polo t-shirt: The style pretty much stays the aforementioned, with experimentation and variation happening with the colours, materials, et cetera.
ANY CHANCE OF PRESCRIPTION LENSES OR READING Spectacles IN THE Most FUTURE?
Ming: Really, we do a tonne of prescription Rockets because let'south confront it, near of us Singaporeans are half-bullheaded. In that location are fifty-fifty a number of people walking around town (myself included) who vesture Rockets as reading spectacles! You lot just need to make it touch with the states and permit us know your lens specs.
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A LOT OF SIBLINGS Tin'T Work TOGETHER AND Notwithstanding, THIS IS YOUR Second Concern TOGETHER. HOW DO YOU DO Information technology?
Ming: Shing handles everything design-related, whereas given my feel with startups, I'm better at translating the ideas into reality. Some other reason nosotros work well together is that nosotros're both businesslike and logic-oriented.
DO You lot Call back SINGAPORE IS SUPPORTIVE OF LOCAL BRANDS AND CREATIVES?
Ming: Extremely. We were really surprised past how eager and willing people in Singapore were to support a local make like us. We call up Singaporeans are excited to get behind a make like Rocket because it's aspirational and authentic at the same time. And we're very proud about our heritage: we literally say it in the beginning line of our story: "Nosotros're Ming and Shing, a brother-and-sis team from Singapore..."
READ: Creative Upper-case letter: The Singaporean brothers who built a Japanese way brand
Institutional support has besides been really strong. Nosotros owe an incredible amount of gratitude to pop-upwards events similar Keepers and Boutique Fairs; local attractions similar Gallery & Co and Tanjong Beach Club; hotels like COMO, and organisations like TAFF and STB for taking a take chances on us. We're very lucky.
WHAT'South THE HARDEST PART Well-nigh RUNNING YOUR Own BUSINESS?
Shing: I have institute that the hardest part of running my business concern(es) is learning not to be afraid of being the hard cease. At Lekker, I am always exhorting my staff to run through issues and try to decide themselves how to proceed, because I am asked most a hundred questions each day. They fabricated me a affiche that hangs over my desk; it reads "Brand your own decisions (and then cheque with me)."
SHING, YOU WERE ALSO BEHIND THE Blueprint Store STRANGELETS. DID THAT EXPERIENCE HELP INFORM THE DECISIONS YOU'VE Made WITH ROCKET?
Shing: Absolutely. When we started Strangelets, 1 of the things nosotros were really excited about was that we would cull cute things for the store, and place them there. We thought "customers can merely come up in and see the stuff and determine if they like information technology or non, and either take it or leave it." Simply you lot know, when they don't take it, you don't sell, and y'all lose coin!
Then we learned how to compromise, to accept things that we similar, that we recall are cute and that set the overall tone of the store, and likewise to have other objects that were less… esoteric maybe, or less aesthetically subjective. So at Rocket, for example, fifty-fifty though I personally practise not like black sunglasses, a huge pct of people do, and so we volition always take our glasses in blackness.
THE BIG TREND THESE DAYS IS COLLABORATIONS. WHO WOULD Yous Like TO WORK WITH?
Ming: Kim Kardashian, obviously… kidding! We'd love to come with a limited edition range for the Pink Dot Festival this yr!
FINALLY, WHAT HAPPENED TO 2 RABBITS SMOKY CHILLI? I LOVED It!
Ming: We decided to stop selling chilli because the market size in Singapore is likewise pocket-size, and shipping a S$12 bottle of chilli around the world isn't terribly viable! It's a shame we had to shut down the business though because fifty-fifty to this solar day, nosotros get about 10 letters a calendar week from hungry customers asking where they tin can get it!
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/creative-capital-rocket-eyewear-company-singapore-sunglasses-246301
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