Get to know E.K.J Project, the Singapore brand behind the cult phone charms that are loved by Wee Wei Ling, Sonia Chew and more
If you’ve been on Instagram, chances are you’ve seen them: intricate phone straps that are lavishly adorned with glass beads, Austrian crystals and, at the centre, a bright yellow smiley face charm. They often dangle from the iPhones of Singapore’s most stylish celebrities like Sonia Chew, Fiona Xie and Karisa Sukamto, but these Couture Wristlets, as E.K.J Project officially calls them, also count fans like pioneering entrepreneur Wee Wei Ling and her friends.
In the past year, these handcrafted phone accessories have become something of a status symbol—an “if you know, you know” detail that points to its wearer’s affluence and influence in Singapore. But E.K.J Project founder Erlina Katuari had humbler intentions for starting her brand in the midst of the pandemic: she simply wanted to make people happy.
“Our phone is the closest thing to us everyday, and I think having a beautiful and glimmering phone strap dangling from it can make us happy in the most simplest way,” she tells Tatler.
That idea of sharing joy is also captured in E.K.J Project’s signature packaging—iridescent boxes emblazoned with a smiley face and the phrase, “Good Vibes Only”—and the fact that Katuari donates the proceeds from her sales to Rumah Anak Humba, a charity based in Sumba, Indonesia.
Below, Katuari tells us more about how E.K.J Project went from being a passion project to a booming business, and how she’s pushing the artistry of her cult phone straps.
Read more: 7 Secret Singapore Status Symbols That Only the Truly Rich Will Recognise