“The designs aren’t conventional, so a lot of foundries didn’t have faith in producing them,” added Wong. Casting houses were wary of Thing In Itself’s complex, organic silhouettes, fearing they would be technically challenging to execute.
It took persistence, countless rejections, and finally, a stroke of luck – an introduction to Italian foundries through people they knew, to finally bring her designs to life. “We paid a lot of ‘tuition fees’ along the way,” Wong joked, estimating that their initial investment was close to six figures.
GLOBAL RECOGNITION
Despite its niche, independent roots, Thing In Itself has quietly garnered an international following. While the label doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar presence yet, its pieces are stocked in curated boutiques across Australia, China and Japan. Pop-up events, like Boutiques Singapore, offer rare in-person experiences with the brand.
“Two years ago, a Japanese lady specially came to our booth to tell us that she bought one of our pieces in Aoyama,” said Wong. “She wanted us to know how much she loved it.”
For Chua, the moment was deeply meaningful. “It made me very happy to know that something we created resonated with someone enough for them to seek us out.”
The brand’s breakthrough came in 2023, when celebrity stylist Dani Michelle – whose roster includes Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber – discovered their designs on Instagram. “She reached out via email, asking if we were interested in loaning some pieces for styling,” Chua recounted. “Of course, we happily sent them some.”
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