A self-taught jewellery designer robbed of her life savings by a shady supplier now owns a million dollar business.
Hanoi-born Chi, who moved from Vietnam to Australia to study commerce at Melbourne University seven years ago, in 2018 launched S-kin Studio, a brand of gold-filled accessories that won’t tarnish in water and are suitable for sensitive skin.
With no formal training in jewellery making, the 25-year-old started by watching YouTube tutorials on different techniques before experimenting with pieces ordered from a US wholesaler in the spare bedroom of her Melbourne home.
After creating what she felt would be popular designs, Chi spent $5,000 – her life savings – ordering them in bulk from an ethical manufacturer in India, who suddenly stopped responding to her messages without delivering the products.
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S-kin Studio founder Chi in her shop in Bulleen, north-east Melbourne
In 2018 Chi launched S-kin Studio, a brand of gold-filled accessories (left and right) that won’t tarnish in water and are suitable for sensitive skin
Chi watched YouTube tutorials on different techniques before experimenting with pieces ordered from a US wholesaler in the spare bedroom of her Melbourne home
A second Indian manufacturer who she still works with today stepped in at the final hour to help her get the business off the ground and resolve the dispute with the shady supplier.
In the three years since, Chi has moved the business out of her spare bedroom and into a thriving studio in Bulleen, north-east Melbourne, where she employs a team of five staff that help to run a brand now worth seven figures.
Today she sells between 2,000 and 2,500 units of including handmade, custom order and ready-made accessories each month.
Unlike many affordable jewellery brands seen across TikTok and Instagram, every S-kin Studio piece can be worn in the shower or ocean without fear of it turning green.
Chi said she bases her designs around her Vietnamese heritage and strives to create pieces that are affordable without compromising on quality.
‘I take inspiration from my travels, my culture, background, and the simplicity of everyday life,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
Aged 25, Chi (pictured with her husband, Alex) now owns a million dollar business
Her designs (pictured) are inspired by travel, Vietnamese culture and the simplicity of everyday life
A new collaboration between S-kin Studio and Dutch visual artist, Hegia de Boer, sold $40,000 (AUD) worth of stock in the first 24 hours after launching on June 30.
The brand has been worn by some of Australia’s biggest social media stars, including fitness influencer Sarah’s Day who chose the $117 Baroque pearl earrings for her wedding in Byron Bay.
Orders flood in from around the world, with about 60 percent of customers based in Australia and the rest from countries such as the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand.
Chi’s long-time best-seller are the $45 Ivy Huggie Hoops, which are her ‘go-to recommendation’ for first-time buyers.
Orders flood in from around the world, with about 60 percent of customers based in Australia and the rest from countries such as the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand
A new collaboration between S-kin Studio and Dutch visual artist, Hegia de Boer, sold $40,000 (AUD) worth of stock in the first 24 hours after launching on June 30
The hoops boast dozens of five-star reviews online, with many calling them their favourite everyday earrings that they rarely take off.
‘I love these, I work in the sun and salt water everyday and for over two years they haven’t faded!’ one woman wrote.
She added: ‘I have replaced them once as the clasp got loose with time and they would fall out. But I love them!’
A second said she hasn’t taken the earrings out since ordering them in February.
‘So comfortable and super affordable. Will be ordering more earrings ASAP,’ she wrote.
Chi’s designs are available from her store in Bulleen and online from the S-kin Studio website.