IMPERIAL ASSET
Pek Lay Peng, the founder of Societya, shares her beauty experience with The History of Whoo’s new premium luxury skincare range, Cheonyuldan
a history graduate, Pek Lay Peng interned at the New York Mercantile Exchange during her undergraduate days, when they opened a Singapore sales branch. Upon graduation, she became a stockbroker with UOB Kay Hian before leaving to join her family business in civil engineering and construction. But that wasn’t enough. She decided to get into fashion retail, and Societya was born. “Coming from a business family background, the traits and visions of entrepreneurship stuck with me for as long as I can remember. These have definitely shaped me into who I am today,” Pek shares.
Societya stocks fashion by Asian designers and is the only omnichannel platform in the world for Asian labels. In early 2017, a bricksand- mortar store took vision in Takashimaya Shopping Centre.
“I see tremendous opportunities with first- mover advantage to curate only Asian designer labels. Being in a tech- enabled world, the marriage of online and offline is irresistible. In terms of design and price point, they answer the gap of designer pieces at high street pricing,” she explains.
Willowy with an elegant gait, Pek describes her style as “chic and creative. I am very open to all styles because I appreciate the thought that goes into a design. So, I don’t restrict myself to a certain look. I like to experiment with shapes and silhouettes.”
For her, fashion is about attitude and personal style; it’s a way of selfintroduction and expressing one’s personality. If you “put yourself in something that makes you feel uncomfortable and doesn’t represent who you are, I think that is a fashion faux pas.”
With two young children, she sees the support she gets behind-thescenes as essential. “Family support is important to me as an additional source of motivation. Working mothers look like we have it all only because we have a whole village of caregivers behind us and I have to thank the heroes in my life for sorting out my sons,” Pek says.
So how does juggling work and home affect her beauty and fitness regimes?
“Not at all — I strongly believe in cleansers, serums and masks. The Cheonyuldan range supplements my routine with its rich, nourishing formula. I like the light texture of the range, and how fast they are absorbed. The scent is not overpowering and the packaging is very luxurious. I noticed my skin is more radiant, smoother and more lifted with regular use,” Pek shares.
“I have personal training sessions and did it three times a week even when I was pregnant with my second child and it gave me the muchneeded energy. Exercise is also antiageing,” she says with a laugh.