A beautifully designed bag made with the finest materials and with superior craftsmanship can greatly appreciate in value over the years.
Vintage-inspired bag designer Shirley Ong handcrafts timeless pieces that can last forever. The passionate bag designer creates stunning clutches, handbags and tote bags under her brand SOPHIA by Shirley, which she established in 2016.
“My motto is to bring vintage [style] to modern women. I design and handcraft each piece by myself,” she said.
Birth of a brand
Ong named the brand after her only daughter, Sophia. After her daughter was born, Ong decided to quit her job and become a stay-at-home mum.
While caring for Sophia at home, Ong dabbled in handicrafts, making little vintage kiss-lock purses and selling them on Facebook.
“It was a hit and my business took off right away,” she recalled.
As her designs became popular, Ong found herself making various types of bags like clutches, handbags and tote bags. “I love crafting, in general, and beautiful things. To be able to create my own designs was very full-filling,” Ong admitted.
The self-made entrepreneur believed in evolving and never staying stagnant. Thus, she continued to refine her skills while exploring her creative mind to come up with ideas to perfect her creations.
“This is why I have evolved and changed for the better, year after year, since 2016,” revealed Ong. Today her handmade collections look fashionable and sophisticated in every aspect: design, style and functionality.
Timeless and traditional
Ong fell in love with the beauty of Japanese textiles, specifically the ones used to make traditional Kimonos and the handwoven silk material used to make the Obi, the wide sash that wraps around the waist.
The idea of using the Obi silk actually came from a customer. “It started with a request for a clutch and she told me to use Obi silk, specifically. The moment I received the fabric, I felt connected and comfortable with the fabric,” said Ong.
Since then, she has used the Japan-made material to create a series of decadent handbags. Some of the patterns on the material feature flowers, birds and landscapes related to Japanese culture.
“I have several favourite motifs such as cranes, phoenixes, sakura, peonies and others. These motifs have beautiful details and meanings,” she said.
For example, the crane symbolises longevity, the phoenix means good fortune, the sakura is a symbol of beauty while peonies are a symbol of happiness.
The delicate patterns such as peonies or sakura are also popular in Chinese culture and can be related to the Spring Festival or with the Lunar New Year.
The iconic subjects appear in various forms and in combination with other motifs, and are strikingly different, making each piece of fabric distinctive. The complex design of each piece of material is remarkable.
Besides, Ong’s bags have unique structures and designs, hence, most of her creations are one-of-a-kind pieces.
“Occasionally, I do hunt for plain and simple Obi patterns for an elegant and glamorous look,” she said.
“I am comfortable working with these fabrics and they are absolutely beautiful! In fact, I will get very excited when I receive new fabrics and I would start crafting bags, immediately.”
Classic and contemporary
Ong said: “For Chinese New Year 2022, I launched an exclusive collection, Jaded by Shirley, featuring jadeite handles and dangles paired with my bags. I have always used authentic pieces only and paired them so that each bag is unique and exclusive.
“I have designed every bag from start to finish and each piece turned out beautifully.”
Among the new designs are a bag which has a hand-carved handle of a silver dragon head with ruby red eyes while the fabric features an ancient home on the hilltop with a dragon protecting the house.
One of the bags in the Jadeite Handle series has vintage black jadeite beads, which are removable and can be used as a neckpiece or choker.
The bag, which Ong described as exuding a “demure style” has a vintage feel, and yet caters to young and modern women.
The same jadeite handle can be seen in a silk bag featuring a garden of peonies with a gold fan in the background, and the jadeite handle has three colours, green, lavender and white.
One particular bag had a rare handle design, featuring hand-carved flowers, with a red jadeite heart-shaped centrepiece on the front of the black bag. The bag was sold out within hours of its picture being posted online.
“My clutches are very versatile and can be used for casual and formal outings. Each clutch comes with a removable long chain and wrist strap. So, you can use it in three styles,” said Ong.
She believes that every woman should own bags for various occasions, and wants her customers to feel proud to carry her handbags.
“I hope that my creative mind will not stop giving me ideas to make more unique bags, in the future,” she said.
