A legacy of love in every stitch: Opera Tang and Ah Ma’s story of strength, identity and motherhood beyond convention

But with Ah Ma, there were no such restrictions. Instead, there was encouragement, not expressed through words but through creativity. Using leftover fabric scraps from her work as a seamstress, Ah Ma would fashion miniature dresses for Tang’s dolls: delicate pieces that mirrored the craftsmanship of her life‑size garments. “That was when I felt like I could ask her for anything,” says Tang. “She never judged. She just made things for me.”

Be it Barbie doll costumes, tea parties or makeshift dresses fashioned from towels, they were, in hindsight, small but profound acts of acceptance that allowed a young Tang to explore freely, to express herself without fear and to understand that love does not have to come with conditions. “Ah Ma never made me feel like I had to explain myself,” says Tang. “I could just be.”

Ah Ma’s love has shaped Tang most tangibly in the language they share: sewing.

For more than four decades, Ah Ma worked as a seamstress, crafting everything from graduation gowns for Singapore’s former prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong to cheongsams for Lee’s wife, Kwa Geok Choo. To Tang, however, these accolades were simply part of the backdrop of her childhood. What stayed with her was not the prestige but the process: the steady hum of Ah Ma’s Singer sewing machine (older than Tang by more than twice over), and her quiet focus and precise control of it.

As a child, Tang would sit beside Ah Ma, playing with scraps of fabric, asking questions and learning through observation. It was not until about five years ago that she began to learn how to sew—returning to her grandmother not just as a spectator, but also as a student.

This skill passed down from grandparent to grandchild has since become integral to Tang’s craft. Today, many of her stage costumes are self‑made, each piece meticulously crafted and carrying an attention to detail inherited from Ah Ma. Drawing from local iconography and personal memory, Tang’s creations are thoughtful and theatrical, ranging from a look inspired by Singapore’s national flower Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim to a striking interpretation of the iconic Toa Payoh dragon playground and even a tribute to Samsui women (the hardworking Chinese female immigrants who built the city‑state’s foundations through back‑breaking manual work).

Even now, Ah Ma remains an integral part of Tang’s creative process, with Tang still turning to her for guidance on drafting, construction and the finer details that elevate a garment. More often than not, their collaboration gives way to bickering. “Ah Ma’s very particular,” Tang admits with a laugh. “Everything must look as good on the inside as it does on the outside.” But within their exchange lies a shared language, where love is expressed not only in the garment, but also in the act of creating it together.

As in many Asian families, love in their household is rarely spoken of outright. There are no overt “I love yous”, yet its presence is unmistakable. As Tang observes: “Ah Ma doesn’t really say [the words], but she expresses [her love] through everything she does.”

It is a form of love rooted in action, duty and an unwavering sense of responsibility. Ah Ma cooks, mends, fusses, and extends that same love to the people Tang holds dear—her partner and friends—welcoming them into her quiet orbit of care. She quite literally shows up too. Even at 95, Ah Ma still attends Tang’s performances, watching from the audience as her grandchild takes the stage in full transformation—her very presence the embodiment of a love that continues to show up, steadfast and unchanged.

For Tang, this endurance is both humbling and aspirational. “Ah Ma shows me how far love can go; what I can work towards and reciprocate onto others,” she says thoughtfully. “If I hadn’t experienced this kind of love, I wouldn’t be able to give it.”

It is this quiet, persistent devotion that has come to redefine Tang’s understanding of strength—not as something loud or performative, but as a steady, generous and enduring presence. This sentiment finds resonance in the Tiffany & Co HardWear by Tiffany creations she and Ah Ma wear.

One of the brand’s definitive collections of late, HardWear by Tiffany is a study in contrasts. At first glance, the pieces are striking, defined by bold, interlocking links that are sculptural, industrial and unapologetically strong. Look closer, though, and something softer emerges: a sense of fluidity and movement. The collection is also a symbol of connection—of bonds that endure, evolve and hold.

For Tang, the pieces carry both physical and emotional weight. “You can feel it when you wear [them],” she says, sharing that beyond the tactile, it is the symbolism that resonates with her most. “The links represent strength and a connection that cannot be broken—or even if they are, they can be mended.”

If the HardWear by Tiffany collection speaks to love’s transformative strength, then the pair’s relationship is its living expression—resilient, enduring and deeply interconnected. Theirs is a bond that has been shaped over a lifetime, not through grand declarations, but through consistent, unwavering presence.

In recent years, Tang has begun to see her relationship with Ah Ma with a new kind of clarity—a realisation of how fleeting time can be. “What made me start documenting our lives together,” she shares, “was knowing that we may not have that many years [together] left. I wanted to capture it—not just for others, but for myself, to look back on.”

So how does Tang hope to carry on Ah Ma’s legacy? “I’m already doing it,” she says, “in the way I document our interactions in our videos.” But then, more quietly: “To be more poetic, it carries on in the stitches I make. In every garment I create from now on, in every stitch I make with my hands or the machine, lies the legacy of her love.”

This Mother’s Day, Tang and Ah Ma’s story is a reminder that motherhood is not defined by titles or roles, but by presence. It exists in the people who nurture us, shape us, transform us and love us unconditionally.

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