From having no clue what to do with her life to founding a jewelry brand, it has been quite a journey for Kellyn Zhou.
Zhou was not born to be an entrepreneur.
"I am not one of those people who has a certain plan or goals for their lives. In fact, I never knew what I wanted to do when I was younger," said the owner of Kklue.
She took up human resource management as her college major, as she thought it sounded good for her career.
After graduating, she worked for a corporate real estate investment firm.
"It certainly paid the bills and I was doing pretty well in project coordination," she said.
"But I had become very confused, and I didn't know where my life was heading."
At 26, she decided to quit her bread-winning job in search of things that would completely enamor her.
Eventually, her encounters and experiences led her to attend a jewelry show.
"That day was a life changing day," she recalled. "I was invited by an acquaintance of mine and her friend, who is a jewelry shop owner. I was fascinated when I saw her weighting and sourcing the stones."
That ignited her passion, which led her to study jewelry design and gemology at the Gemology Institute of America. It was the best time of her life, as she finally had a drive towards her entrepreneurial goal.
Being hardworking and persistent propelled her to study photography and web design simultaneously while pursuing her qualification at GIA.
"It was a demanding schedule," said Zhou, who also volunteered to help out at her boyfriend's (now husband's) company to learn about business operations.
"For the first time in my life, I was fully focused on learning and preparing myself for the future."
While passion is crucial for starting a business, she faced a reality check during a conversation with her teacher.
"I asked my teacher what I needed to do to prepare for starting my own jewelry business one day," she said. In response, the teacher said: "Money, of course."
"It was blunt but true," she said.
Undeterred, she continued working toward her goal. Despite facing financial constraints, she decided to explore opportunities at jewelry shows and considered working as a consultant for a company to gain experience.
"I didn't want to abandon my dream just because of a lack of resources. I was determined to find a way," she said.
A stroke of luck, the aspiring entrepreneur crossed paths with a generous jewelry store owner who provided her with raw materials and jewelry pieces. "What was meant to be a brief interview turned into an opportunity for me to interact with customers and hone my sales skills," she said.
Subsequently, it was finally her time to shine, as she launched Kklue in 2016, simply named after her life's journey. A jewelry collection that reflects women's style and attitudes in the present day.
Most of Kklue's jewelry are made from solid 18-karat gold. The modern and timeless designs set itself aside from other brands.
But to create pieces that represent women's personal style, it goes back to communications and collaborations.
"I had the insight that women in Hong Kong couldn't find high-quality jewelry that was also affordable," said Zhou.
She decided to create simple yet elegant jewelry pieces one day during a conversation with her clients.
"It was intriguing because they were white-collar workers who mentioned the challenges of finding a good jewelry brand. They felt existing brands were either too traditional, like their mothers' jewelry or too luxurious," she said.
"While some expressed a desire to wear jewelry to work without prominent logos."
Inspired by working women in Hong Kong, she derived new ideas by interacting with people from various backgrounds.
"I've been in this for a while now. Observing how they dress, speak, and behave helps me understand how the jewelry will complement their lives," she said. She focused on aligning the brand's jewelry with their professional attire and social engagements.
Approaching the eight-year mark, the brand remains committed to the philosophy of less is more, offering classic, timeless pieces to the market.
"Keeping up with trends is challenging, but our goal is always to provide timeless pieces at an affordable price," she said. "We prioritize sustainability, functionality, and sentimental value in our designs."
Currently, she is working on a collection centered around mothers and their children.
"After attending Paris Fashion Week, I realized the importance of sentimentality in western society. I aim to create pieces that the eastern society would appreciate and cherish."
(The Standard / Weekend Glitz)
