Singaporean fashionista Salina Chai makes Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list with Margo & Smith

SINGAPORE – How do you build a successful business with your spouse without straining your marriage?

Ms Salina Chai, 30, and Mr John Chung, 32, the Singaporean founders of Margo & Smith, the eight-month-old subsidiary brand of local leather craft company Mason & Smith, say it is all about accepting each other’s flaws and making time for the relationship outside the workplace.

This is even as they work daily at the Margo & Smith premises in Ann Siang Road.

Ms Chai refers to Margo & Smith as Singapore’s “first artisanal bag restoration atelier” that aims to elevate the experience of restoring leather goods into a luxurious one.

Rejuvenation and maintenance services start at $200, depending on the size and complexity of the work required, while bespoke colour matching services start at $400. For larger items, such as vintage trunks and furniture, prices can rise into the thousands.

Since the company’s launch in October 2023, it has repaired more than 500 bags, mostly from luxury labels Hermes and Chanel.

Mason & Smith, an award-winning artisanal leather care, shoe restoration and retail store run by Mr Chung since 2013, is located a few units away in Ann Siang Hill.

The couple have been married for three years and have no children.

“We were really clear from the start that if we wanted to build a business together, it cannot affect what we have,” says Ms Chai. “We don’t want that to be a sacrifice.”

She says their relationship, while not always smooth-sailing, has served as a firm foundation for their teamwork – “it’s easier to work together because we have a strong friendship”.

The couple’s synergy certainly played a part in accelerating their path to success. Ms Chai made the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list less than a year after Margo & Smith opened.

Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia is an annual list featuring 300 entrepreneurs across 10 categories, all of whom are under the age of 30. It was published on May 15, with Ms Chai inducted under the Retail & E-Commerce category.

Other Singaporeans on the list include Mr Brayden Lim, founder of food photography and styling studio Alinea Collective, and Mr Ian Chew, founder of code carbon calculator Greenie Web.

“When I saw that e-mail, I couldn’t believe that it was possible,” says Ms Chai, who spent the last decade in digital fashion content creation. “Ten years of hard work flashed before me.”

She also believes the Forbes honour goes “beyond the title” for Margo & Smith, instead recognising the work of the entire leather craft industry.

When the couple started dating in 2020, Mr Chung had already built Mason & Smith from the ground up. Ms Chai often went to him for advice on leather maintenance.

On coming together for Margo & Smith, she says it was a natural progression from their personal brands. Her industry knowledge and her husband’s expertise in leather craft made for the perfect partnership. 

She primarily deals with client consultations and less complex restorations, while Mr Chung and their team of artisans handle most cases.

“Being in the industry, I had friends asking if their rare luxury bags could be restored,” she says. “They didn’t trust anybody else to give them the right solutions.”

She saw a gap in the market for leather restoration services that focused on highlighting craftsmanship. 

“For us, it is really beyond making revenue. It is about educating customers about the process of how a bag is restored, more than pushing to make a quick buck.

“Many Singaporeans have the wrong impression of what leather bag restoration and shoe restoration are. We’re here to change and modernise that,” Ms Chai says. 

With Margo & Smith’s sophisticated shopfront and modern spacious interior on the second floor of the Kwong Wai Siew Li Si She Shut clan association building, the experience differs from the drop-off kiosks run by similar “bag spas” or neighbourhood street cobblers.

When visiting the 1,000 sq ft atelier, customers will also be exposed to the rich history and old-world charm of the clan association, which has owned the heritage building since 1954.

The choice to locate themselves within it was intentional. She says it complements the idea of preserving memories and heritage in leather restoration.

Ms Chai, who has a degree in marketing from SIM-RMIT, has held jobs where she ran operations for restaurants and cafes.

However, she was most passionate about digital fashion content creation, which she started at 18 years old. After gaining a following on Instagram, she was approached by French fashion house Chanel to collaborate on online content for its press events.

Ms Chai now has more than 155,000 followers on the social media platform and has since worked with the likes of Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.

She credits the artistry-focused branding of Margo & Smith to her experience with these maisons. Being able to “touch and feel, understanding why each collection was presented in a specific way”, she gained a new-found appreciation for leather craftsmanship.

The business of bringing bags back to life is also a sentimental one. Customers have entrusted her team with the restoration of cherished pieces belonging to their late loved ones.

“For some, it may be just a handbag or shoe. But for others, it holds many special memories – a job promotion, a reward to self, a gift from loved ones or a vintage find during a holiday,” she says.