Student-run studio shades doubters to shine in colour analysis business
The TL;DR: House of Hues, a student-run colour analysis studio that emerged out of a polytechnic project, has been running since 2023. It charges less than half of the standard rate for a colour analysis session in Singapore.
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House of Hues co-founder, Ong Jing Ting (third from left) conceived the business idea when she was doing research for a study module.
The Straits Times
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SINGAPORE – Colour analysis is popular in South Korea, but when team members of House of Hues first pitched their idea for a similar business in Singapore for a school module in 2023, they had trouble convincing their lecturers and mentors that there were clients here who wanted to find out which hues suited them most.
Their solution? A 16-second TikTok video that called for public support for their school project. The clip went viral and generated approximately 12,000 likes and 90,000 views.
Today, the team of seven students runs a registered business that has collaborated with brands like Uniqlo, Metro Paragon and WeWork, and also conducts sessions for individual customers.
The student-run business’ unique selling point: It charges just $45 per 30-minute session, while many of its competitors charge $100 to $300 for one- to two-hour sessions.
House of Hues chief executive Ong Jing Ting first conceived the idea when she noticed the lack of affordable options for colour analysis in Singapore when she was doing research for her Business Essentials Through Action module in Singapore Polytechnic.
The 19-year-old business administration student said: “There were only one or two other studios in Singapore (at the time) and they were charging up to $200 (for a session), so I felt like there was a gap in the market.”
The colour analysis trend started in South Korea in 2022 and quickly blew up on social media, garnering over 280,000 posts under the hashtag (#coloranalysis) on TikTok globally. Singaporeans flew to South Korea to get their colours analysed for about $200 per one-hour session while local colour analysis studios also charged similar rates.
Due to House of Hues’ viral TikTok video, it already had customers waiting to book a session before its official launch in October 2023. With $1,000 seed funding from their module, the team spent $400 on materials, such as the mirrors and fabrics used to analyse a customer’s compatibility with different colours, and to get certified in colour analysis via online course provider Coursera.
Team members were also mentored by a hobbyist interested in colour analysis who guided them through the first three to four weeks of their operations without collecting a fee.
Although the project was supposed to conclude when the module ended for them in March 2024, the team members decided that it was worthwhile to continue the business independently because of overwhelming consumer demand.
Marketing team member and business administration student Cailin Yeo, 19, said: “There was a waiting list of over 100 people and we had forged a strong friendship (within the team).”
House of Hues presently runs sessions only once a week, usually on Saturdays, and does not operate during the polytechnic exam period when team members are busy studying.
Booking forms are released via House of Hues’ Telegram group one to two weeks in advance and slots for the approximately 24 sessions per weekend are usually booked within minutes. Customers are mainly women aged 18 to 40 who hear about the business via word of mouth and social media.
Co-founder of House of Hues, Cailin Yeo, 19 getting a colour analysis session with founder Ong Jing Ting, 19 and co-founder Gabriella Hadiz (left), 18.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
As House of Hues continued to run – moving its sessions from SP’s campus to a studio in Lorong Kilat in March 2024 – industry players and big brands began to take notice.
Their first big break came from Uniqlo, which hired the team from late May to early June 2024 to conduct complimentary color analysis sessions for its customers as part of its 40th anniversary thank-you festival.
Marketing team member and business administration student Myat Thin Thin said: “It was exciting (to be working with Uniqlo), but at the same time, we were nervous for our first public event.”
They served more than 200 customers over four days at the event, conducting colour analysis for not only members of the public but also influencers such as Fauzi Aziz.
Working the event was more hectic than working their normal sessions, and the team said that they were grateful for Uniqlo staff who helped to manage the crowd.
The team said that while they make more money when they are hired for events, individual customer sessions provide a more stable source of income, since they are more regular.
Running their business also required sacrifice – team members shared that many of them have had to stop taking part in other extracurricular activities in order to focus on the business.
When asked what advice she had for other students looking to start their own businesses, Ms Ong said: “Take any opportunities in front of you and don’t be afraid to take risks.
“Even if you are just operating in school, people will eventually hear about it. The most important step is the first one.”
Dillon Loh is a journalist covering the youth beat at The Straits Times.
