“One of the artisans took a lighter to burn the material, and it was real genuine leather. Intrigued, I bought their shoes and wore them in Thailand. It was really comfy,” Chua recalled.
Chua’s conviction in the artisans’ craftsmanship was immediately validated when her small order of 16 shoes resonated strongly with friends and family, proving the market potential and igniting the birth of her business that same year.
Driven by a desire to give back to her birthplace, Chua first introduced Commune Wear in Myanmar. Because of the political instability, she made the difficult but strategic decision to relocate her business to Singapore in 2021.
Launching amidst a pandemic, Chua’s business faced immense challenges. To ensure her staff’s survival, she paid for their salaries out of her own pocket.
