Out Of Office: Zac Ng, Co-Founder Of Takara House At Haji Lane
In this edition: the 28-year-old owner of a fairly fresh but popular vintage thrift store in Singapore, with its own cosy cafe corner serving homebaked treats.
Out Of Office is a new series that follows Singaporeans who’ve logged off the standard career script to chase their own versions of success – consider this a study of work, ambition and life beyond the default settings.
WHO: Ng Jun Ze (goes by Zac), 28, co-founder of local vintage thrift shop Takara House.
WHAT HE DOES: Takara House is a treasure trove of unique finds personally sourced from abroad by its owners: Out-of-production Japanese fashion pieces, dolls and plushies, vintage teaware, old anime collectibles, accessories, and so much more. Zac runs the store together with his partner, along with his sister, who singlehandedly manages the in-store bakery-cafe, M Patisserie.
WHY KNOW HIM: It takes a certain leap of faith to open a new thrift store at Haji Lane when the scene (and the street in particular) is already proliferated with plenty of such Gen Z-run businesses. But armed with a dream, and savings from selling vintage clothing on Carousell, flea pop-ups, and working at his dad’s F&B business for five years post-graduation, Zac went ahead to take the plunge with Takara House in May 2025 – and clearly, he’s been doing something right.
Despite being a fairly fresh entrant to a movement that was already well in its peak, Takara House gained swift traction mere months after opening, with a constant steady stream of new customers as well as regulars-turned-friends. Here, Zac shares with us what makes Takara House stand out amidst the fray, what a day in his life is like, and a little sneak of his newest concept store, Scrapyard.
Takara House’s cosy cafe space
What do you think gives Takara House an edge over other thrift stores in Singapore?
“Singapore is such a fast-paced place, and I wanted to create somewhere that people could slow down a little and feel at home. Takara House started from my passion for building concepts and creating spaces. That’s why we designed it to feel a bit like visiting your grandparents’ house, a very cosy space. I also wanted it to be more than just a thrift store, so we combined the vintage clothing with a cafe and created a whole experience around it.
My sister also plays a huge part in the cafe side of things. She has around 10 years of experience in baking, and she runs M Patisserie, so her experience really helped us a lot. I am really proud of what she has made!
I think what gives Takara House an edge is a combination of everything! My vision and concept-building, our curated vintage Japanese pre-loved pieces, the cafe, and the interior design that I did myself.
We wanted to create a space that feels different from a typical thrift store, and hopefully somewhere that people genuinely enjoy spending time in.”
What is a typical day in your life like?
Zac on a sourcing trip overseas
“Coffee first! Iced black, always. When we’re sourcing and restocking, we usually travel overseas to places like Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand to curate our pieces. Washing and drying clothes in an Airbnb is honestly part of our daily routine, haha. We really care about hygiene, so we make sure everything is properly washed and cleaned before it reaches the store. When you start your own business, you realise that you’re basically working every single day. When we’re back in Singapore, it’s usually a mix of running the store, sorting and pricing clothes, planning content, doing admin, and basically handling a bit of everything. No two days are really the same.”
What do you look out for when sourcing items for the store?
“We’re always looking out for special pieces! [Be it in terms of] the material, the cutting, or the design. We love finding pieces that are one-of-a-kind, where you know you probably won’t find another exact same one again. For us, it’s not just about following trends, but finding clothes with interesting details and character. I think that’s also one of the reasons why our regular customers love coming back to us.”
What are some of your favourite items in the store right now?
“One of my favourites would be this moving doll from France. It’s quite rare, and many of my customers are always shocked when they realise that it actually moves. I also really love the hanging Spiderman, and my Pikachu collection, which I’ve been collecting since I was a kid. I’m also really into clocks. I honestly didn’t know there were so many people who collect clocks like I do until I started meeting them in the store.”
Your favourite underrated fashion brand:
“Honestly, I don’t really have a favourite brand. I love sewing and creating things myself, so I actually try not to look too much at other people’s work. I feel like that helps me develop my own ideas and come up with something more original.”
Describe your personal style:
“Cosy, and anything that makes me feel happy.”
You co-run this store with your girlfriend and sister. How does your relationship with each other benefit the business?
Cakes from M Patisserie, Takara House’s in-house cafe
“The three of us have quite different strengths. I’m more focused on the creative side, the overall concept and the vintage clothing, while my sister handles the bakery side with her 10 years of experience. My partner helps a lot with curating and marketing, which is also a big part of growing the business.
Since we’re close to each other, we can be very honest with our opinions and ideas, and we’re always able to discuss things openly. Of course, working with people you’re close to also means we have disagreements sometimes, but I think that’s also part of what makes the business work. We all bring different strengths to the table.
I also think having both fashion and food under one roof allows us to attract different types of customers – people who come for the desserts, and people who come for the fashion. In a way, both sides also help bring more people to each other’s businesses, so it helps us grow together.”
What are some of the biggest challenges you face behind the scenes of running your business?
“Staying competitive and consistent. There are so many vintage stores at Haji Lane, so we always have to keep pushing ourselves to curate better and more special pieces. We want to make sure that every time customers come back, there’s always something new and exciting for them to discover. So constantly sourcing and finding unique pieces is definitely one of the biggest challenges behind the scenes.”
What’s your favourite part of the job?
Zac with his partner, sister, and friends of Takara House.
“Probably meeting new people and making new friends through the business. I also really enjoy building concept stores like Takara House and bringing my ideas to life. I love the whole process of creating a concept from scratch and seeing how people connect with the space and the things we create.”
A word of advice to other young people in Singapore who are considering taking the leap to start their own business:
“Be brave and take a leap of faith in yourself. Don’t be afraid to start, even if you don’t have everything figured out yet. I believe anyone can do what I do if they’re willing to work hard and stay consistent.”
What’s next for you? Any exciting upcoming plans?
Scrapyard by Takara House, located at 47 Haji Lane, Level 2.
“We recently opened another concept called Scrapyard (also located at Haji Lane), which is a little different from Takara House. It focuses more on reworked and upcycled secondhand clothing, where we experiment with things like alterations, bleach drawing and other creative ways to give old clothes a new life. So for now, I’m really excited to continue developing Scrapyard and seeing where we can take the concept next. There are definitely more ideas in the works, so stay tuned.”
Takara House is located at 674 North Bridge Road, Level 2, Singapore 188804, open daily from 10am to 10pm. Stay updated on their latest launches and bakes of the day via Instagram.