Joanne Ooi | |
|---|---|
 Joanne Ooi at the TEDxPearlRiver event | |
| Born | December 13, 1967 |
| Other names | MotherPlukka |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | CEO, Plukka |
| Known for | Creative Director of Shanghai Tang, CEO of Clean Air Network |
Joanne Ooi (born December 13, 1967) is a Singaporean American environmentalist, art dealer, marketing expert, founder & CEO of Plukka. [1]
Ooi is the eldest child of two doctors, who are both Chinese Singaporean. She was born in Singapore, but moved to the Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States. [2] She graduated from Columbia University in 1989 and earned her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. [3] [4]
Ooi served as the Creative Director of Shanghai Tang for seven years. [3] During her time with the company Ooi chose to focus on clothes that were based on traditional Chinese designs and themes, with sales for Shanghai Tang increasing 50%. [5] Ooi was also one of the first persons to use Chinese models in international advertising campaigns and is credited with launching the career of Chinese supermodel, Du Juan. [6]
Beginning in 2009, Ooi operated as the CEO of the environmental organization Clean Air Network, which focused on air pollution and public health. [7] Ooi, together with fellow Clean Air Network CEO Christine Loh, was nominated for Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential" list in 2011. [8]
Ooi frequently speaks and comments on a wide variety of topics, including luxury retail, ecommerce, digital marketing, creativity and entrepreneurship.
In December 2011 Ooi launched Plukka, an ecommerce website that specializes in fine jewelry. [9] Ooi, together with Jai Waney, chose to open the website after noticing the steep markup for designer jewelry. [10] Plukka’s business model made waves in the industry for its made-to-order platform that cut out the middlemen associated with traditional fine-jewellery distribution. This approach allows it to maintain extremely competitive pricing while offering directional and artistic jewellery that might be considered too risky or creative for conventional retailers. [11]
She lives in Hong Kong with her husband John and son Sam. [2]
Gong Li is a Chinese actress. She starred in three of the four Chinese-language films that have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A., commonly known as Richemont, is a Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company founded in 1988 by South African businessman Johann Rupert. Through its various subsidiaries, Richemont produces and sells jewellery, watches, leather goods, pens, firearms, clothing, and accessories. Richemont is publicly traded as CFR on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the JSE.
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Clean Air Network is an independent non-governmental organisation exclusively focused on the issue of air pollution in Hong Kong. CAN aims to educate the public about the health impacts of air pollution and to mobilise public support for cleaner air in Hong Kong. According to Civic Exchange's environmental program director Mike Kilburn, CAN was created with the purpose of encouraging the public to speak out and support government measures that could improve the quality of air in Hong Kong.
The Pedder Building, located at No. 12 Pedder Street, in Central, Hong Kong, is a historic commercial building built in the Beaux-Arts style. Built in 1923, it is the last surviving pre-World War II building in Pedder Street.
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The market for luxury goods in China composes a significant proportion of all luxury goods sales worldwide. In 2012, China surpassed Japan as the world's largest luxury market.
Qeelin is a fine jewellery company. The brand's products refer to mystical or superstitious symbols strongly embedded in the Chinese culture. The name Qeelin comes from the Qilin, an auspicious Chinese mythical animal and icon of love.
Alessandro Michele is an Italian fashion designer who most recently served as the creative director of Gucci, the Italian fashion luxury house where he had been working since 2002. Known for his maximalist designs, Alessandro Michele revived Gucci's popularity most notably with a Geek-Chic aesthetic. He had been responsible for all of Gucci's collections and global brand image from January 2015 until he stepped down from the role in November 2022.
Diamondère is a custom fine jewelry e-commerce company that was launched in February 2012. The founders are part of a family business which has designed jewelry for royal families and celebrities since 1890.
Choo Yilin is a Singapore-based fine jewelry company founded in 2009. It first became known for its modern take on traditional jade jewelry, and has subsequently also created jewelry using other gemstones such as spinels and pearls. In October 2019, the brand announced that it would be going on an indefinite hiatus.
Feng J or Feng Ji is a Paris-based Chinese jewelry designer and artist. She established her own eponymous jewelry brand in Paris and set up showrooms in Place Vendôme and Shanghai. In December 2015, she founded Fengji Jewelry (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, serving as its executive director and general manager. The company has a registered capital of only RMB 1 million.
