Daniel Chew and Rebecca Ting: Going beyond the vines
Instead of diplomas or degrees, the power couple’s pursuit of affordable, good design has taken them further than they’d imagined – with a dream project still in their sights
AFTER A DECADE OF MARRIAGE, Daniel Chew and Rebecca Ting have finally bought their matrimonial home.
At least, that’s what Ting, who can barely conceal her excitement, calls it. It’s a surprising nugget of information, considering how successful the couple behind home-grown design studio Beyond The Vines (BTV) are.
That is, until you realise how laser-focused they also are on building their business.
The duo, who met when they were teenagers, married on May 1, 2015 – when Chew was 29 and Ting 28 – and started BTV as an online store just two weeks later. Without financial backers, they chose to pour all their savings into starting the business instead of buying an HDB flat. Now parents of two, they have been renting since.
“We were just young adults and didn’t have much except an eye for design,” recalls Chew, BTV’s chief executive. “Good design was something not really accessible then unless you paid a certain price. And Becky had a gift for design.”
What’s more surprising is that neither had any background in fashion, design or running a business, learning everything from scratch. In fact, Chew describes the pair as “the rebellious sort”, with neither pursuing formal education beyond secondary school.
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“Sorry, our roots are not traditional,” says the Henderson Secondary School alumnus, who spent most of his days in the education system wondering about the world outside. “Since primary school, my report card always said ‘he could do better if he could focus’.”
But he knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur, so he worked some 10 different jobs to learn about business and leadership. He sold stationery and property, and was employed in the F&B industry, where he was “scolded all the time”.
Meanwhile, Ting, who is BTV’s creative director, says she was “like, the last student in class” at Raffles Girls’ Primary School. She was later offered a place at the London College of Fashion, but like Chew’s parents, hers couldn’t afford to give her an overseas education.
“They were not big on academics,” Ting says of her artist father, Arthur Ting, and her mother, who helped run his gallery. “My mum was more concerned about character and habits.” So she did “random odd jobs” after her O levels, including selling chocolates and teaching art.
Self-directed learning
There was, however, the proverbial peer pressure, and the couple were looked upon differently as their friends headed to junior college.
Still, not starting in a way that would “set them up for success” meant their “train of thought” was also “a bit different”. “We’re extremely resourceful because we just had to make things work,” says Ting. “Honestly, it’s a miracle how far the business has come.”
They had a vision – to build a brand that wasn’t just Singapore-centric – even though they didn’t know how to get there. They were so convinced, they even coughed up S$30,000 for a .com domain that would give their website international reach instead of S$2,000 for a .sg version with a local focus.
They also chose the costly route of doing everything in-house, giving them control over BTV’s voice and direction. “We’re just very all-in sort of people,” admits Ting.
What they’ve sown in the decade – during which they’ve been “working non-stop” – has certainly borne much fruit. After starting with women’s fashion – the “easiest entry at that point” into the creative space – they rebranded in 2020 to become a design studio where no product category is ruled out.
“We get asked this question a lot – how is it that when we rebranded, it catapulted our business X number of times,” shares Ting. “The answer is that while we changed the aesthetic, it’s still the same philosophy from when we started: that design must be accessible by all. We just emphasised it even more.”
Instead of focusing on women’s apparel, they looked for something that would work better in an omnichannel business. They landed on bags in multiple colours because they were easy to buy “without thinking too much”.
That turned out to be one of the best decisions they made.
“We’ve sold a million bags in the past three years,” reveals Chew, adding that the category makes up 60 to 70 per cent of BTV’s revenue. Their bestseller is the user-friendly Dumpling Bag – a cult favourite that comes in a slightly slouchy form with a ruched closure, pockets, short handles and a long strap. Made of lightweight and water-resistant nylon, it is washable and foldable.
With an appeal that cuts across age groups, a Dumpling Bag in XL size costs an affordable S$119 and can take one from gym to the office and after work. “It still stands as the Number One hero product after five years, week after week and in all markets,” says Ting.
That single product propelled BTV to regional success. Today, it has 24 stores across Singapore, China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.
That said, BTV’s ready-to-wear category is still doing very well, with an 80 per cent sell-through rate within two weeks of hitting the shop floor. This Chinese New Year, a “big” collection will be launched.
The couple are also proud of the fact that BTV remains independent. They have done only one round of angel fundraising, with hospitality group Lo & Behold taking a small stake in the business some four years ago. Since then, multiple offers from venture capitalists have been turned down.
Being purposeful
“Intentional” is a word Chew and Ting use a lot. It’s how they describe the way they run their business, approach their marriage and raise their kids.
For instance, Chew – now a voracious reader of materials on everything from human behaviour to business management and finance – is determined to build a company that’s known not just for its products, but also career opportunities and growth.
Reflecting the Gen Z tilt, the BTV office is a very colourful workplace with a sense of creative energy and perhaps a hint of restlessness – a good thing if you want staff to be inventive rather than repetitive. Although “the work is hard and the pace extremely fast”, there is a barista for the all-important coffee breaks and a flat hierarchy where there is room to make mistakes.
That BTV’s 250-strong global staff includes a large chunk of young employees who have stayed for many years is testament to its strong culture, Chew points out. “I had my hands in every department before the company grew, so I know to a certain extent the pain points they feel.”
The couple are also committed to Tuesday date nights and consciously involve their sons, who will turn seven and 10 this year, in what they do. “We use our daily activities to teach them life lessons,” Chew explains.
As partners at home and at work, the pair avoid conflicts by deliberately respecting each other’s “lanes” and decisions. In fact, Ting thinks working with one’s spouse is “such a good idea”.
“I would absolutely encourage it,” she declares. “As husband and wife, we’re on the same page. Whatever Daniel chooses, I know he has the best interests of the company, marriage and family at heart.”
Watching the couple banter, the deep affection between them is clear. “We’re quite aligned, although I feel that I married up… I think she’s brilliant,” says Chew, adding that Ting always makes him “look good” in front of the crew.
“And I genuinely enjoy his company,” says Ting. “I still think he’s very funny!”
A world beyond
Having just opened their first stores in China and Japan over the last three months, the couple are exploring products to suit a temperate climate and looking to grow their roots deeper rather than expand to new markets.
But if there is one thing Chew dreams of launching, that would be a BTV hotel.
“That’s what I’m secretly trying to build,” he shares. “Seen through our design philosophy, how would BTV interpret this hotel, from the chef and counter staff’s uniforms to the bed linen and toothbrushes?”
That may still be some way off, but Chew thinks they could start within the F&B space, such as creating a fruit juice, ice cream or even establishing a cafe. In other words, it would simply be a matter of where their combined creative and entrepreneurial talents take them.
After all, as he puts it: “We’re still living the dream we had 10 years ago.”
Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow
Fashion direction: CK
Hair & make-up : Zoel Tee, using Chanel Beauty
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