Legacy Building: O+’s Silas and Shamus Hwang on preserving the future of a brand created by their father

By then, Silas who was naturally interested in his father’s business, had already joined the company. He explains how his father wanted to launch a new concept but couldn’t do it on his own.

“[I told him] I would step in and run the business together,” he says.

Determined to see the business through, the father-and-son team decided to revamp and rebrand. This led to the launch of O+ in 2014, a minimalist eyewear label aptly named after the family’s blood type. During this time, the brand was one of the first single-branded eyewear stores in Singapore.

Younger brother Shamus adds that they were the pioneering Singapore eyewear brand to design and manufacture their products, from start to finish.

Currently overseeing the designing process of O+’s products, Shamus shares that other brands tend to use the designs that they get from their manufacturers. That’s not the case for O+. 

“We don’t go to [these manufacturers] for designs … we design every single one [of our eyewear],” he reveals. Today, the brand continues to create its own sleek and timeless pieces.

A wave of disruption

Despite struggles in the business, the patriarch of the family always put his family first. On this, Silas reflects: “Although it wasn’t all rosy, my dad always prioritised making memories with us as a family and we were grateful for what we had.”

Fortunately for the family, their relationships were “rarely strained and always stable”, even through turbulent times.

“[This is] something my dad holds very dear to his heart,” Shamus adds.

Growing up, the brothers never had any pressures to join the family. “I think he knew that pressuring us would just push us in the other direction, so he kind of let nature take his course,” Shamus explains.

For Silas, his interest in the business naturally allowed him to be part of the company—even from a young age, he took part in business discussions and shared his thoughts.

“Although, I’m not sure how useful they were,” he jokes.

Shamus gradually gained his own interest and joined the business after graduating from university. “I left university not entirely sure where I was headed, but joining the family business and deciding to be under the mentorship of my father caused me to mature exponentially,” he says. 

Since joining the business, the brothers’ passion and interest in their jobs continued to grow rapidly.

It was almost an obsession for Shamus, as he was motivated by a strong desire to create the “best eyewear brand possible”.

The designer grew into the role by mode of drawing. “I just kept drawing non-stop, again and again,” he enthuses. Slowly, he grew to understand the preferences of his customers.

Even today, he admits it can take him weeks of redrawing a shape only to have it thrown in the trash. In these moments of doubt, he turns to the people around him, including his father, for help and guidance.

O+’s values have also inspired his designs, in terms of timelessness and transcending generational fashion trends. “I don’t want to say that we’re not trendy because a lot of our glasses are very up-to-date. But they are [created] in a way that is just unique to us,” he shares.

Read more: How I’m making it: Eye surgeon Dr Claudine Pang on her mission to bring eye care to the disadvantaged

Relationships above results

Working together, the brothers have formed a closer bond. While they were “fairly close” growing up, their sibling relationship has developed, as they learned each other’s interests, strengths and weaknesses. 

Naturally, working with family comes with disagreements. But their father set an example for them to always listen to differing views and opinions.

“I like to see this tendency for disagreement as our advantage. It ensures that we have [multiple] perspectives. It’s also a great way to learn how to present tough points in a palatable manner,” Shamus explains. “The business is a means to an end. For us, it’s a means to building financial stability but the end also includes family harmony. So if that is compromised, then this is not going to work.”

Witnessing how their parents worked together in the early days also taught them the importance of working together as a team.

“For my dad, it’s always [about putting] relationships above results,” Silas shares, adding that they do not proceed on any decision at the expense of their relationships.

Focused on the future

The brand has come a long way from its early days at International Plaza. Today, O+ has three outlets: OUE Downtown, Mandarin Gallery and Star Vista. While they have rebranded and refurbished over the years, their vision remains the same—offering high-quality eyewear that is both comfortable and timeless. On top of eyewear, the homegrown brand continues to provide comfortable and enjoyable eye care services, thanks to its team of optometrists.

One of their biggest achievements? The latest launch of Bespo+ke, an experience where the brand crafts one-of-a-kind frames tailored to customers’ preferences and facial measurements.  

Despite the constant change in the market, from quick trends to discount stores, the brothers are focused on the future.

Looking ahead, they hope to see the industry shift back towards appreciating craftsmanship and valuing quality over “simply pursuing the lowest prices”.

O+’s position in the crowded eyewear market is unique. Built on three decades of design and manufacturing expertise, it remains as the only eyewear brand in Singapore that designs and produces its pieces.

While there hasn’t been any new products in nearly half a year—unlike the typical drop frequency of two to three months—there may be a new collection coming up.

Silas teases: “We’re in the midst of preparing new eyewear products that are the first of their kind in the world.”

O+ consistently raises the bar in their industry and so its continuous innovation makes it exciting to see what the family will do next. 

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