Creative Couples On Being Partners In Work, Love And Life
Cool creative couples share their #LoveStory and how their shared passions enrich their lives.
While online chatter continues to churn out memes and theories about Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet's recent Santa Barbara Film Festival appearance, the beauty mogul – rocking a massive diamond ring – was there to support her boyfriend. Beyond the celebrity buzz, a simpler message shines through: love. Inspired by their #CoupleGoals and Valentine's Day, we spoke with couples in Singapore who navigate the unique challenges of balancing romance and ambition. Ahead, we learn how they juggle diverse careers and creative pursuits.
VALERIE WANG & NICHOLAS LIM
Meet the multi-hyphenate couple who wear more than one hat when it comes to what they do for a living. Lim is the art-trained interior designer by day who also co-runs the modernist-leaning furniture label Niiil. Meanwhile, content creator Wang is known to her over 55K followers on Instagram (@valerie_wang) for her sleek and fashionable visuals. The fine arts graduate also founded fashion label Unda in 2016, which is a haven for its corset tops. As fate would have it, the duo crossed paths at a photoshoot for a friend’s T-shirt label 12 years ago, and, in their own words, it was love at first sight.
How have you influenced each other creatively?
Valerie Wang (VW): “In terms of art and design, we both have different preferences and strengths. I have a diploma in illustration. After getting to know Nic and learning more about fine arts through him, I decided to pursue my degree in fine arts to expand my field in the creative world.”
Nicholas Lim (NL): “I’ve always been firm in my love for fine arts, as it does not confine one to a single medium and it almost has no boundaries. Having different knowledge and skills allows us to learn from each other and push each other’s strengths. Although, we must say, it sometimes tests our patience with each other as well – haha!”
What are some creative differences you have?
NL: “We are both entrepreneurs now and own our own labels and companies. Valerie started her own fashion label Store Unda in 2016. She manages everything on her own – from designing, sampling, photoshoots to all the backend work. Although she did not study fashion, she was greatly passionate and took a leap of faith to go forth with her dream of designing petite clothing.”
VW: “Nic has been in interior designing since 2017. He has a different approach towards space designing that he wishes to explore.”
NL: “Watching Val build her brand has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone, and pursue my distinct way of designing spaces, which led to the birth of Four Eighths Studio and co-founding my furniture line, Niiil.”
VW: “We haven’t got a chance to collaborate, but I guess we knew we could get on each other’s nerves if we did so!”
What’s one aspect of your partner’s creativity you admire and why?
NL: “Val is always firm and decisive in direction and decisions.”
VW: “Nic is the opposite. Though he takes a long time to come to a decision, he does not limit himself to a single direction which may open up more opportunities.”
KACI BEH & BRYAN YAP
Beh is a full-time student and part-time model and tattoo artist, while Yap is a full-time vegetable seller and part-time model. The pair, who have been dating since 2023, run a tight operation on the greengrocery front and chronicle their experience as on TikTok in a series calleld 'Mr N Mrs Vege Life.'
How do you support each other amidst your busy schedules working two jobs?
Kaci Beh (KB): "Throughout the day, we often part ways to go about our business, be it school, work, or something else. Communication is important to us, so we send each other updates and sometimes even video messages to show what we're up to. When we finally unwind and come home, we lie down in bed and talk about our day. Simply being together strengthens us; we deeply appreciate having someone to share our thoughts and experiences with. Being together provides me with the invaluable moral support I seek."
Bryan Yap (BY): When we're working together (on the vegetable business), Kaci is usually the chaotic one [while I'm] the chill one. That's been our vibe from the get-go. Our support game is a bit of a comedy, coming from totally different angles, but it works."
What is one thing about your partner that you admire?
KB: "I really respect his tenacity, the passion and energy he pours into everything, and his unwavering dedication and loyalty to both his jobs and the people he loves. I often label him as a 'Kampung Boy' because he's someone who can handle hardship, yet remains ambitious and driven."
BY: "The thing I admire about Kaci is that she is willing to take on hardship in her life and she will not complain about being tired. That is something that I admire a lot and respect."
Besides modelling, Kaci Beh and Bryan Yap also work together in the vegetable-selling business which he runs.
What's your advice to couples who want to collaborate together?
KB and BY (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): "One advice we’d give to couples who work together would be to know how to separate your private and working lives. Clear communication is paramount. Establish roles, set boundaries, and respect each other's expertise. When we’re back from work, we’re no longer colleagues, but boyfriend and girlfriend. Prioritise your personal relationship by taking time to celebrate love and simple wins in life."
CHERIE CHEONG & EUGENE CHEE
Chee, the chef behind 808 Eating House, a casual eatery in Joo Chiat specialising in Southeast Asian cuisine, named after both his birthday and the iconic Roland TR-808 rhythm composer, gained experience at Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco and other establishments like Cloudstreet, Cheek by Jowl, and Magic Square. Meanwhile, his wife Cheong, who holds a full-time design job, assists him by crafting the restaurant's visual identity and managing its social media presence.
What roles do both of you take on in 808 Eating House?
Eugene Chee (EC): We don’t both work at the restaurant. Cherie has a full-time job, so she helps out with most of the design needs that I have at the restaurant, such as menu designs, posters, social media designs, T-shirts and merch etc. Most of the time I leave the design up to Cherie. Because she’s obviously a much better designer than me."
The menu design of 808 Eating House features a vibrant aesthetic
What’s the best thing about collaborating together?
EC and Cherie Cheong (CC) (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): "In terms of working together on design collaterals or items, the best thing would be that we both understand each other’s style and preferences.
EC: "Cherie pretty much knows exactly what I’m looking for or need whenever I come to her for design help!"
What advice would you give to couples who want to work together?
EC and CC (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): "I think at the end of the day it depends on each couple’s relationship dynamics, how they work as individuals and what works best for them, and most importantly, being able to understand and communicate with each other well."
FARIS HEIZER & AISHA ROSLI
Faris Heizer and Aisha Rosli are high school sweethearts who met in 2016 while pursuing their Fine Arts diploma at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and have been together since. The two work as individual figurative artists but came together for a duo show — Diptych — at Coda Culture in 2019. Although they are independent art practitioners, the pair share a common goal: to expand their audience and exhibit beyond the walls of Singapore.
Have you influenced each other’s working styles throughout your relationship?
Aisha Rosli (AR): “He has definitely influenced my work ethic. When he starts painting or gets into the zone, he never stops working and can stay concentrated for hours. For me, I take quite a few breaks while painting or researching, as I have a shorter attention span — but he motivates me to be more careful with time.”
Faris Heizer (FH): “I’ve picked up using certain painting mediums and trying out more experimental styles from her.”
What is one aspect of your partner’s creativity you wish you could possess, and why?
AR: “It would have to be Faris’s rendering when it comes to drawing or sketching a painting. He does it so seamlessly and efficiently. Faris has this unique style of rendering that’s clearly his, and I wish to have a style that people can spot easily as well.”
FH: “I would say her sense of colour. It’s one of the best traits she has as an artist, and I’m slowly learning it from her.”
What is the most challenging thing about being with someone from the creative scene?
AR: “So far, it has been a strength rather than a challenge. I am thankful to have someone with similar goals and big aspirations for our future. Having someone from the creative scene is nice because Faris is very understanding.”
FH: “Same here. It hasn’t really been a challenge to be with Aisha because I get motivated when she excels, so it’s cool to be with someone like that.”
Have you influenced each other’s personal style?
AR: “When it comes to fashion, I think he’s better at it than I am! I usually make him choose an outfit for me and style me when I need to dress up. He knows best what is flattering on me and tends to have a specific aesthetic in mind. I usually go for a more effortless and comfortable style for my own outfits.”
FH: “I’ve always been interested in vintage styles and a baggier look. When we go shopping together, I’m normally the one suggesting clothes to her, so her style naturally ends up blending in with mine.”
What kind of style do you most love to see your partner in?
AR: “I love Faris’s long hair. I love when he wears wide pants and a sweater or T-shirt with loafers. I like when his outfit is a bit feminine. I love how he doesn’t care if it’s women’s garments as long as it looks good on him. And I love that we can share clothes because of that!”
FH: “I love her chic and effortless look, but from time to time I love it when she wears a cocktail dress.”
How has your partner changed you as a person?
AR: “He has helped me a lot with my confidence and acknowledging my little achievements. Now, I’m slightly better at understanding myself as a person and not being too harsh on myself.”
FH: “I think I’ve learned to be a bit more grounded and patient thanks to Aisha.”
EILEEN TAN AND EDEN TAY
The duo behind the popular Haji Lane pre-loved fashion store, Vintagewknd, founded the store in October 2015. The couple, who have been dating since 2013, expanded their brand by launching Superwasted, Popo House, and Last Time Vintage, additional concept stores under the Vintagewknd umbrella.
How has your collaborative process evolved over the years since starting Vintagewknd?
Eileen Tan (ET) and Eden Tay (EDT) (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): "Working together has always been the driving force behind our relationship. The idea of starting a business came about while backpacking in Eastern Europe, which required cooperation and understanding. At the time, we had only been together for a year. When we started Vintagewknd in 2015, it was a part-time venture, allowing us to work at a more relaxed pace. The name 'vintagewknd' was chosen to represent our weekend hobby of selling vintage items. With only the two of us running the business, we were responsible for everything from planning and sourcing to marketing, operations, popups, retail sales, e-commerce, customer service, and order fulfillment. Despite the workload, it was only one aspect of our lives."
ET: "Over the years, as we went into the business full time and expanded our team, everything has taken a 180-degree turn. Our responsibilities within the brand have shifted more into planning and management, but the business has literally taken over all our waking (and some of our sleeping) hours. Nowadays, Eden manages the brand operations team while I manage the marketing orcreative team. We work with our individual teams and come together to discuss and work on larger business projects, decisions, and the future."
How has your partnership – both as a couple and at work – shaped you as individuals?
ET: "We've both learned a lot from each other as we've worked together. My approach is usually more no-frills, direct, and 'get-to-work,' while Eden tends to be more passionate, sensitive, and considerate. In working together, Eden has influenced me to be more empathetic and emotionally available, while I've influenced him to adopt more analytical, objective approaches. It took a while, but we both agree that this learning process has improved our dynamic. Now, we often switch roles to explore each other's viewpoints and even those of others. Working together has also taught us both immense patience, which is a valuable skill in any partnership."
Since starting Vintagewknd in 2015, Eileen Tan and Eden Tay have expanded their vintage and pre-loved fashion business to encompass three other entities.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to couples thinking about working together?
ET and EDT (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): "Communication and understanding are critical in any partnership. Even if you think you know your partner inside out, misunderstandings and unhappiness can still occur, especially when work-related issues come into play. That's why it's essential to maintain proper communication and establish clear boundaries when working together as a couple. You need to ensure that both individuals are happy with their respective roles, the work the other person is doing, and how the team dynamic will work. An unbalanced dynamic can have a significant impact on both the team morale and the business, as well as the couple's personal relationship. Therefore, we highly recommend that couples assess their suitability for working together before starting a business. While we've seen many couples flourish in this kind of partnership, it's more common to find couples who are better off pursuing individual careers. Maybe try playing Overcooked together before working together."
NOELLE WOON & AHMED SYABEEL
Nigerian-Chinese model and illustrator Noelle Woon, alongside Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts graduate Ahmed Syabeel, are undoubtedly one of the cutest creative couples we've seen. While they come from different disciplines – Woon’s playground is in fashion while Syabeel dabbles in poetry alongside running bag and accessories label The Bag Creature with some friends – the two creative souls recall bumping into each other regularly at parties with mutual pals at the rave hub, Tuff Club. Woon asked Syabeel and a bunch of friends to chill at her place, and the rest is, as they say, history.
How have you influenced each other creatively?
Noelle Woon (NW): “Syabeel introduced me to a lot of art influences he discovered on his own. He enjoys graphic art, photography, and writing a lot – that brought a whole new perspective for the way I viewed art. I think he was inspired to start writing again when he’d caught me journaling. He usually writes his own poetry inspired by storytelling, music, and other life experiences.”
Ahmed Syabeel (AS): “Being with Noelle has helped me reconnect with my ‘creative’ side because I’ve always loved writing poetry since I was a kid. She showed me that being creative doesn’t necessarily require talent, but also a mixture of hard work and passion.”
What are some creative differences you have?
NW: “As we use different mediums to express ourselves, his inspiration usually comes more from music and photography. Whilst my inspirations are more related to visual arts.”
AS: “I guess the main difference is that we both practice different art forms. So we both create through different mediums.”
What’s one aspect of your partner’s creativity you admire and why?
NW: “His ability to curate a really tasteful collection of music. Because he listens to such a wide variety of music, the music he picks for any setting is usually always on point.”
AS: “I really admire how she starts her day before she starts doing her art: meditating, doing yoga and sometimes cycling. It reminds me that we need to stay healthy mentally and physically first, before anything else.”
How has your partner shaped you as a person?
NW: “As we are quite fresh into this relationship, we are slowly learning to be patient and adjust to each other. My partner always shows me how to take a moment to breathe and just relax, taking the day a minute at a time, because I tend to always be doing something or planning to do things in my head.”
AS: “As a person she has reminded me that no matter what happens, life goes on. Also, staying resilient and being able to have a partner who communicates with empathy and has similar goals in life – that took us both by surprise.”
CHRISTIAN HAMMER JUHL & JADE CHAN
Danish designer Christian Hammer Juhl and his Singaporean partner Jade Chan met at the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where they both pursued their bachelor’s degrees. In 2018, they established their design practice in Copenhagen – aptly named Christian + Jade. The sculptural objects they create are primarily crafted from aluminium and focus on rethinking and exploring our relationship with objects. When asked about their work dynamic, they gave quite a sports analogy: “Juhl is a tennis ball launcher machine shooting balls aimlessly, and Jade is the tennis player trying to hit them and give them direction — though they usually whizz right past her.”
Do you have any memorable projects together to share?
Christian Hammer Juhl (CHJ) and Jade Chan (JC) (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): “If we had to share one, it would be the first project we did together, called Architecture for Fishes. We kept 20 different fish and attempted to design the ideal home environment for each of the fish species. We created toys, mazes, feeding tools for our fish, and designed glass architectures for them based on their reactions.”
Have you influenced each other’s working styles throughout your relationship?
CHJ & JC (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): “Yes, of course! That’s not something we’ve managed to escape. We work together, so we naturally begin to develop a common language and method that benefits both our ways of working.”
What is one aspect of your partner’s creativity you wish you could possess, and why?
JC: “I wish I had Christian’s imagination and obsessiveness to rethink and redo everything he does.”
CHJ: “I wish I had Jade’s ability and perseverance to go through with my own ideas.”
What is the most challenging thing about being with someone from the creative scene?
JC and CHJ: “We don’t see anything challenging about it; there are only positives. You are able to share your interests and your work with someone who is equally excited about it! It’s nice to speak the same language, both in ideas, form, colours, techniques, and more.”
How has your partner changed you as a person?
CHJ: “How? I do not remember how I was before.”
FADZEERA FADZULLY & IMRAN ISMAIL
Fadzeera, a social media manager, and her husband Imran, an interior architecture designer, are among the many Singaporean homeowners documenting their creative and design journey of setting up their abode on an Instagram. What makes their Brutalist-tinged five-bedroom apartment stand out? It’s organic, unpretentious, and filled with inspiring posts showcasing beautiful natural light, lush greenery, and feline companions. See their collaboration come to life at @bedoksouthhouse.
Besides interior design inspiration, the couple's @bedoksouthouse account also features paintings by Imran Ismail, the owner.
What got you started on @bedoksouthhouse?
Fadzeera Fadzully (FF) and Imran Ismail (II) (they prefer to answer this question as a couple): "@bedoksouthhouse" was started as a means to journal the process of having a house in Singapore, which we believe is a significant milestone for people. We wanted to capture the journey and looking back at the photos on the page serves as a reminder of our head and heart space during that particular fragment of time, as well as how our house has evolved with us."
A raw aesthetic reigns in @bedoksouthouse, dominated by concrete and cement.
Which aspect of your partner’s creativity do you admire?
FF: "I’ve always seen Imran as the 'creative one.' He has an eye and flair for design that I would never have and have always respected that. He’s able to put different elements of what we’ve collected together and put them cohesively in our space. But more importantly, he has the ability to grasp my desires (admittedly, I struggle to articulate them) and materialise them. His constant pursuit to explore different creative outlets – like his painting journey on @artfortheturbulent is amazing to watch from the sidelines and I love that it fills up the space we share together."
II: "Fuzzy has a passion for books and all things in that circle. I appreciate how she is able to review books in a very casual and approachable manner. @fuzzy.fiction is a fun outlet for her to document her main thoughts and recommendations on the books she has read and in the process, managed to create a small community around her."
JAIME LOH & RYAN DRYSDALE
Jaime Loh and Ryan Drysdale are the well-dressed creative forces behind vintage-inspired menswear retailer Un Homme. The two have been together since 2021 — a few months before the brand started — and, in true new-gen fashion, met on the very same online platform they now sell their garments on: Instagram. And did we mention, they take the cutest coordinated couple wear shots?
Have you influenced each other’s working styles throughout your relationship? If so, how?
Jaime Loh (JL): “I tend to be particular as a perfectionist and get very stressed out when I don’t meet our deadlines, but Ryan’s calm nature has helped us to meet our to-do list slowly but surely.”
Ryan Drysdale (RD): “It’s not always the most peaceful, but we are trying to compromise and meet in the middle. So far, it has been working out fairly okay, I must say.”
What is one aspect of your partner’s creativity you wish you could possess?
JL: “Ryan does the styling for most of our photoshoots, and I’d leave it to him to decide, as he is very clear and particular about how he wants it to be.”
RD: “Her ability to think outside the box almost immediately when she gets stuck in a situation.”
What is the most challenging thing about being with someone from the creative scene?
JL: “There are instances when we don’t agree on the same things, but we’d still listen to each other’s opinions nonetheless, to make sure we don’t shut each other down.”
RD: “I feel that Jaime has the upper hand and more knowledge, so sometimes I feel like I’m lagging behind or not doing things correctly.”
Have you influenced each other’s personal style?
JL: “We’ve always been interested in the same kind of styles even before we met, and being together right now has definitely helped us to be more inspired, which eventually led us to start Un Homme.”
RD: “I don’t quite think we did. We already had quite similar styles when we first met.”
What kind of style do you most love to see your partner in?
JL: “There’s no specific style, but I really enjoy seeing how Ryan styles the same top or bottom differently every time. It doesn’t matter to him if anyone looks at him differently; he just embraces it!”
RD: “Nineteen-seventies retro disco fever kinda vibe.”
How has your partner changed you as a person?
JL: “We always encourage each other to try new things, and it has allowed us to step out of our own comfort zones individually.”
RD: “In many good ways, actually, but one of the more prominent ways is how she guided me to better manage my time and plan ahead in order for me to stay on task and feel accomplished at the end of the day.”