When Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber posted photos wearing abstract earrings from an under-the-radar jewellery brand, it marked a defining moment for Singaporean label Thing In Itself.
Founded in 2019 by Xin Chua, 37, the brand crafts strikingly organic forms in rhodium-finished recycled sterling silver and 18K gold vermeil – a high-quality gilding process where gold is layered over sterling silver for durability and a rich, luminous finish, with prices starting at US$125 (S$166).
Hailey Bieber wearing Thing In Itself's small Blob earrings. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Country singer Maren Morris wearing Thing In Itself's Gather Hoops. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
“It was surreal to see celebrities wearing something that I designed,” recalled the soft-spoken Chua. “[American country singer] Maren Morris even performed in our earrings, which felt like a stamp of approval – it meant the piece had to be both well-crafted and well-designed.”
A trained graphic designer, Chua started dabbling in jewellery design as she was drawn to the idea of shifting from the flatness of digital visuals to something tactile – an object that could be worn, felt and experienced in motion. “I wanted to create something that I could wear,” she said simply.
Thing In Itself founder, Xin. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
“As a graphic designer, I gravitated towards crafting 3D objects digitally,” she shared. This fascination sparked her earliest jewellery experiments – pieces she uploaded to social media.
The response was encouraging, compelling her and her husband, Aaron Wong, 40, to formally launch Thing In Itself in 2019. Wong assists in operations and logistics for the brand, allowing Chua to immerse herself fully in the creative process. The couple also run a design studio – a business that they refer to as their “bread and butter”.
Unlike many jewellery designers who begin with hand-drawn sketches, Chua conceptualises her pieces directly in 3D modelling software. “It’s just a different way of putting ideas on paper,” she explained. The brand also leverages 3D printing for prototyping, enabling precise refinements before moving into metal casting.
Her aesthetic leans into biomorphic and amorphous forms, drawing from a vast mental archive of inspirations. “Back in school, I’d spend hours at Kinokuniya flipping through design books – I couldn’t afford them, so I just committed the images to memory,” she said.
Complex Blob ear cuff. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Playfulness is intrinsic to her process. “I try not to take it too seriously. If I think, ‘this has to turn into something,’ it would hinder my creativity.”
Even the way she names her pieces reflects this philosophy. “I don’t name jewellery according to a vibe or mood. I want the person wearing it to form their own interpretation.” Chua’s designs are coined after plain descriptors of their form, such as Blob, Spiral and Gather.
This ethos ties back to the name of her label, Thing In Itself – an allusion to the philosophical concept that objects exist beyond human perception, allowing wearers to ascribe their own meaning to each piece.
“Every piece of my jewellery is inspired by the last,” explained Chua. “It’s always morphing. It starts with a form, like a blob, a spiral or a gather – and transforms into something new.”
Blob chain necklace. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
The first piece she designed, the Blob Hoop Earrings, introduced the brand’s signature aesthetic – fluid, exaggerated curves that mimic molten metal. This later evolved into the Blob Chain Necklace, an unconventional take on classic chain-link structures. “Usually, chain designs are more structured. When it drapes, it forms a certain shape, but this one is quite organic – it doesn’t sit in just one position, it’ll look different with different angles.”
Indent Ball earrings. (Photo: Thing It Itself)
Some designs carry deeper personal meaning. The Indent Ball series, featuring spherical forms punctuated by subtle concave impressions, was inspired by suan pan zi
Chua said her jewellery is made for “anyone looking for something unique – something they’d be happy to hand down to their child.”
Despite her intuitive approach to design, turning her artistic vision into wearable jewellery wasn’t easy. “The whole process of getting the idea from a sketch to an end product took me through a lot of hurdles,” she admitted. The jewellery industry, she soon discovered, was a closed-door world where manufacturers were hesitant to work with an unknown, female Asian designer.
“The designs aren’t conventional, so a lot of foundries didn’t have faith in producing them,” added Wong. Casting houses were wary of Thing In Itself’s complex, organic silhouettes, fearing they would be technically challenging to execute.
It took persistence, countless rejections, and finally, a stroke of luck – an introduction to Italian foundries through people they knew, to finally bring her designs to life. “We paid a lot of ‘tuition fees’ along the way,” Wong joked, estimating that their initial investment was close to six figures.
Despite its niche, independent roots, Thing In Itself has quietly garnered an international following. While the label doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar presence yet, its pieces are stocked in curated boutiques across Australia, China and Japan. Pop-up events, like Boutiques Singapore, offer rare in-person experiences with the brand.
“Two years ago, a Japanese lady specially came to our booth to tell us that she bought one of our pieces in Aoyama,” said Wong. “She wanted us to know how much she loved it.”
For Chua, the moment was deeply meaningful. “It made me very happy to know that something we created resonated with someone enough for them to seek us out.”
The brand’s breakthrough came in 2023, when celebrity stylist Dani Michelle – whose roster includes Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber – discovered their designs on Instagram. “She reached out via email, asking if we were interested in loaning some pieces for styling,” Chua recounted. “Of course, we happily sent them some.”
Hailey Bieber wearing the small Blob earrings. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Soon after, Bieber wore the Small Blob Earrings in a campaign for her beauty brand Rhode, while Kendall flaunted hers in a swimsuit photo posted on Instagram. “It was quite funny, because Kendall and Hailey are BFFs and they wore the same piece!”
Kendall Jenner wearing Thing In Itself's small Blob earrings. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Alexandra and Mackenzie Grandquist, sister stylists for Kylie Jenner, have also contacted the brand. When asked who she’d love to see wearing her jewellery next, Chua didn’t hesitate. “G-Dragon,” she said shyly. “I like the way he can pull off different vibes.”
For now, expanding brand presence remains the priority. “I want our pieces to be more accessible worldwide,” said Chua. “I hope to connect more with our audience in person as well.”
Does she envision pivoting away from her design studio to focus solely on Thing In Itself?“No, the agency is my baby too,” she said firmly. Before she could elaborate, Wong interjected with a teasing grin, “I’d love to kick her out of it – that would mean the brand has really made it.”
Chua laughed, but explained that she thrives on the creative balance between the two. “I enjoy switching between different modes of design. It keeps things fresh, and sometimes one discipline informs the other in unexpected ways.”
As for future designs, she hinted at incorporating more gems next. “I’m considering working with more sparkly stuff,” she teased. “But I’ll need to experiment first.”
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Founded in 2019 by Xin Chua, 37, the brand crafts strikingly organic forms in rhodium-finished recycled sterling silver and 18K gold vermeil – a high-quality gilding process where gold is layered over sterling silver for durability and a rich, luminous finish, with prices starting at US$125 (S$166).
Hailey Bieber wearing Thing In Itself's small Blob earrings. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Country singer Maren Morris wearing Thing In Itself's Gather Hoops. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
“It was surreal to see celebrities wearing something that I designed,” recalled the soft-spoken Chua. “[American country singer] Maren Morris even performed in our earrings, which felt like a stamp of approval – it meant the piece had to be both well-crafted and well-designed.”
FROM 2D TO TANGIBLE ARTISTRY
A trained graphic designer, Chua started dabbling in jewellery design as she was drawn to the idea of shifting from the flatness of digital visuals to something tactile – an object that could be worn, felt and experienced in motion. “I wanted to create something that I could wear,” she said simply.
Thing In Itself founder, Xin. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
“As a graphic designer, I gravitated towards crafting 3D objects digitally,” she shared. This fascination sparked her earliest jewellery experiments – pieces she uploaded to social media.
The response was encouraging, compelling her and her husband, Aaron Wong, 40, to formally launch Thing In Itself in 2019. Wong assists in operations and logistics for the brand, allowing Chua to immerse herself fully in the creative process. The couple also run a design studio – a business that they refer to as their “bread and butter”.
THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND HER DESIGNS
Unlike many jewellery designers who begin with hand-drawn sketches, Chua conceptualises her pieces directly in 3D modelling software. “It’s just a different way of putting ideas on paper,” she explained. The brand also leverages 3D printing for prototyping, enabling precise refinements before moving into metal casting.
Her aesthetic leans into biomorphic and amorphous forms, drawing from a vast mental archive of inspirations. “Back in school, I’d spend hours at Kinokuniya flipping through design books – I couldn’t afford them, so I just committed the images to memory,” she said.
Complex Blob ear cuff. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Playfulness is intrinsic to her process. “I try not to take it too seriously. If I think, ‘this has to turn into something,’ it would hinder my creativity.”
Even the way she names her pieces reflects this philosophy. “I don’t name jewellery according to a vibe or mood. I want the person wearing it to form their own interpretation.” Chua’s designs are coined after plain descriptors of their form, such as Blob, Spiral and Gather.
This ethos ties back to the name of her label, Thing In Itself – an allusion to the philosophical concept that objects exist beyond human perception, allowing wearers to ascribe their own meaning to each piece.
A CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVING COLLECTION
“Every piece of my jewellery is inspired by the last,” explained Chua. “It’s always morphing. It starts with a form, like a blob, a spiral or a gather – and transforms into something new.”
Blob chain necklace. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
The first piece she designed, the Blob Hoop Earrings, introduced the brand’s signature aesthetic – fluid, exaggerated curves that mimic molten metal. This later evolved into the Blob Chain Necklace, an unconventional take on classic chain-link structures. “Usually, chain designs are more structured. When it drapes, it forms a certain shape, but this one is quite organic – it doesn’t sit in just one position, it’ll look different with different angles.”
Indent Ball earrings. (Photo: Thing It Itself)
Some designs carry deeper personal meaning. The Indent Ball series, featuring spherical forms punctuated by subtle concave impressions, was inspired by suan pan zi
Chua said her jewellery is made for “anyone looking for something unique – something they’d be happy to hand down to their child.”
NAVIGATING INDUSTRY CHALLENGES
Despite her intuitive approach to design, turning her artistic vision into wearable jewellery wasn’t easy. “The whole process of getting the idea from a sketch to an end product took me through a lot of hurdles,” she admitted. The jewellery industry, she soon discovered, was a closed-door world where manufacturers were hesitant to work with an unknown, female Asian designer.
“The designs aren’t conventional, so a lot of foundries didn’t have faith in producing them,” added Wong. Casting houses were wary of Thing In Itself’s complex, organic silhouettes, fearing they would be technically challenging to execute.
It took persistence, countless rejections, and finally, a stroke of luck – an introduction to Italian foundries through people they knew, to finally bring her designs to life. “We paid a lot of ‘tuition fees’ along the way,” Wong joked, estimating that their initial investment was close to six figures.
GLOBAL RECOGNITION
Despite its niche, independent roots, Thing In Itself has quietly garnered an international following. While the label doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar presence yet, its pieces are stocked in curated boutiques across Australia, China and Japan. Pop-up events, like Boutiques Singapore, offer rare in-person experiences with the brand.
“Two years ago, a Japanese lady specially came to our booth to tell us that she bought one of our pieces in Aoyama,” said Wong. “She wanted us to know how much she loved it.”
For Chua, the moment was deeply meaningful. “It made me very happy to know that something we created resonated with someone enough for them to seek us out.”
The brand’s breakthrough came in 2023, when celebrity stylist Dani Michelle – whose roster includes Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber – discovered their designs on Instagram. “She reached out via email, asking if we were interested in loaning some pieces for styling,” Chua recounted. “Of course, we happily sent them some.”
Hailey Bieber wearing the small Blob earrings. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Soon after, Bieber wore the Small Blob Earrings in a campaign for her beauty brand Rhode, while Kendall flaunted hers in a swimsuit photo posted on Instagram. “It was quite funny, because Kendall and Hailey are BFFs and they wore the same piece!”
Kendall Jenner wearing Thing In Itself's small Blob earrings. (Photo: Thing In Itself)
Alexandra and Mackenzie Grandquist, sister stylists for Kylie Jenner, have also contacted the brand. When asked who she’d love to see wearing her jewellery next, Chua didn’t hesitate. “G-Dragon,” she said shyly. “I like the way he can pull off different vibes.”
THE FUTURE OF THING IN ITSELF
For now, expanding brand presence remains the priority. “I want our pieces to be more accessible worldwide,” said Chua. “I hope to connect more with our audience in person as well.”
Does she envision pivoting away from her design studio to focus solely on Thing In Itself?“No, the agency is my baby too,” she said firmly. Before she could elaborate, Wong interjected with a teasing grin, “I’d love to kick her out of it – that would mean the brand has really made it.”
Chua laughed, but explained that she thrives on the creative balance between the two. “I enjoy switching between different modes of design. It keeps things fresh, and sometimes one discipline informs the other in unexpected ways.”
As for future designs, she hinted at incorporating more gems next. “I’m considering working with more sparkly stuff,” she teased. “But I’ll need to experiment first.”
Continue reading...