Birkins wall to wall, a closet full of couture, but it’s work that makes Singapore socialite Jamie Chua happiest
- A Singapore Airlines stewardess when she met her future husband, Indonesian Nurdian Cuaca, the 45-year-old is done with just spending money
- Paid to endorse products to her social media followers, her investments include a beauty clinic and skincare range. Everybody should have work, she says
Jamie Chua's walk-in wardrobe is a sight to behold. The Singaporean socialite owns one of the world’s largest collections of Hermès handbags. Some 200 of them, including the French label’s iconic Birkin and Kelly styles in various colours and sizes, take pride of place – kept in full-length glass cabinets at the front of the 700 sq ft, fingerprint-protected wardrobe.
“I tend to pick classic colours over seasonal or limited-edition colours. Reds, pinks and yellows are very much sought after because even though they may not be your usual neutral colour, if you wear these shades, they will make a statement,” says the 45-year-old, whose Instagram account @ec24m has more than 900,000 followers. “[My following] is because of the bags – they have a bigger personality than myself. People just want to look at them,” she adds.
The most expensive bag in Chua’s collection is a S$300,000 (US$220,000) Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Birkin, which is encrusted with diamonds.
She also has some 200 pairs of towering heels from the likes of Christian Louboutin, Valentino and Gucci, to name a few. Then there are the clothes. She owns lavish gowns, beautiful dresses, structured jackets and everything in between, from the world’s most famous fashion labels, including Chanel, Fendi, Balmain and Saint Laurent. There is more in her wardrobe than can be found in most luxury fashion boutiques.
