“It was always my dream to create my own label and start a business. I put in place a vision for myself, and worked hard to achieve it. After working in a local firm for some four years, I gathered my courage and savings, and ventured out. The result is ELOHIM, which means Jehovah, God of Creative,” said young entrepreneur, Sabrina Goh.
This 25-year-old fashion designer draws inspiration for her designs from structures and forms. She enjoys using androgynous, symmetrical and asymmetrical combinations in her collections, as well as experimenting with different colours, cuttings, textures and details. Sabrina has already created two smaller capsule collections for market testing and plans to launch her first full collection soon. Each collection reflects Sabrina’s innovative and creative spirit, with the first collection being inspired by Lego, the second by buckles and the third by modified body shapes.
Boosting the business
Although she may have an artistic nature, Sabrina also has a clear head for business on her shoulders. With support from the YES! Startups grant, she is now able to grow her business with the launch of a full fashion collection and scale up the production to jumpstart her local and international expansion.
“There are currently three retail outlets in Singapore that stock my designs on a consignment basis and people can also purchase items online. In addition, I also sell my designs in stores in New York and London. I plan to continue growing my business both in Singapore and internationally. A key milestone for ELOHIM would be to open its own showroom in Singapore, and I hope to do this by next year,” said Sabrina.
The Lows and the highs
Like many entrepreneurs, Sabrina finds managing the finances and ensuring sufficient cash flow to be one of the most challenging aspects of being an entrepreneur. She also admitted having difficulties with managing the administrative work. Fortunately for Sabrina, her love for designing and passion for ELOHIM has kept her going.
“Currently, I am the only full-time employee, although I do work with freelancers on a part-time basis. As such, I need to handle all administrative details, such as stock keeping,” said Sabrina. “However, the mundane parts of running my own business are more than made up for, when I see that my customers truly appreciate the designs that I have developed, and purchase the clothes I have created. For me, this is the best part of creating my own label.”