Cover Cheryl Wee (left) wears a Hublot Big Bang Original Gold
41 mm watch, Dior Bar jacket, matching skirt. Rachel Wee wears a Hublot Big Bang Gold Blue Diamonds 41 mm watch, Fendi jacket, her own trousers
Cheryl Wee (left) wears a Hublot Big Bang Original Gold 41 mm watch, Dior Bar jacket, matching skirt. Rachel Wee wears a Hublot Big Bang Gold Blue Diamonds 41 mm watch, Fendi jacket, her own trousers
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From standing up against bullies in school, to becoming business partners and mothers themselves, the Wee sisters get honest about how they've evolved and grown into their own, hand in hand, through the chaos of life under the spotlight
You can't tell the time with just one, without the other. The minutes and hours hands are essential to each other's purpose—whether it's zipping by or slowly but surely unravelling. They keep each other on track, mark life’s precious moments together and add structure to daily lives. And just like these hands of time, sisters Cheryl and Rachel Wee have gone through all of life’s ups and downs side by side.
“A big part of why I really wanted—and actually had—my first and second child to be a year or so apart is because that’s the age gap between mei mei and I,” says Cheryl, the 35‐year‐old jie jie, or older sister. “Growing up, our parents were really busy, and while we were, and still are, extremely close to my auntie and cousins, it was ultimately just Rachel and I, 24/7. She was always there; she’s all I’ve had.”
The mother of three further shares why she’s always wanted a big family. “It’s also because we see this sibling love in our mother’s generation,” she says. “My mum has four siblings and until today, it’s still one of the rarest things to see how close the five of them are. They work together, live really close by to one another, and yes, they fight, but I can tell you, I’ve never seen such a strongly knit family love each other so much.”
See also: Watches & Wonders 2022: Hublot Collaborates with Murakami on 2 NFT Artworks
Above Cheryl wears a Hublot Big Bang One Click King Gold White Diamonds 33 mm watch, Big Bang One Click Steel White Full Pave 33 mm watch, Gucci dress. Rachel wears a Sportmax coat, her own co‐ords
Above Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II Black Magic 45 mm watch
Cheryl wears a Hublot Big Bang One Click King Gold White Diamonds 33 mm watch, Big Bang One Click Steel White Full Pave 33 mm watch, Gucci dress. Rachel wears a Sportmax coat, her own co‐ords
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BRAVE HEARTS
Upon meeting the Wee sisters for the first time, or if you scroll through their well‐populated Instagram feeds, you get the impression that they are sweet and effervescent, not to mention stunning mummies—and you wouldn’t be far off the mark, but there’s so much more to get
to know. Cheryl comes across as more outgoing and outspoken, and Rachel, softer and more reserved. Even their features reflect this, with jie jie’s piercing eyes and big bright smile, and mei mei’s more doe‐eyed allure and plush pout.
In spite of these observations—or whatever impressions that society or social media followers have of them, having grown up in the public eye—Cheryl describes her younger sister as “the brave one”. “Not only did I feel more confident knowing she was in the same schools as me—all through to Victoria Junior College—but she actually came fearlessly to my rescue when I was bullied in kindergarten; she was only in nursery at that time! That situation landed us in the principal’s office, and I was terrified while she was unafraid. She’s the brave one, my security blanket—and that’s exactly what I want my children to have as well. Because as parents, no matter how hard we try, we can’t be there for our kids all the time. But I know that they’ll always have one another’s backs.”
Rachel interjects at this point: “My sister may say I’m the brave one, but she’s the leader, a natural born one. She’s the kind of person who is very focused on what she wants and is highly ambitious. If she wants something, she knows what to do to go out and get it—even when faced with extreme obstacles. So while I’m the feisty one, she’s definitely the stronger one.”
Above Hublot Big Bang Unico King Gold Ceramic 42 mm watch, Dior jacket, trousers, Sportmax turtleneck
Above Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium White Diamonds 42 mm watch, Dior jacket, Rachel’s own T‐shirt
Hublot Big Bang Unico King Gold Ceramic 42 mm watch, Dior jacket, trousers, Sportmax turtleneck
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REVOLUTIONARY ROADS
The co‐founder of Oh Hello Bae, a skincare brand for acne‐prone and sensitive skin, Rachel’s journey to beauty came full circle after taking a slight detour to medicine. “At first, I felt like doing something medical‐related, but soon after becoming a pharmacist, I quickly realised that it wasn’t the profession or environment for me to thrive. At the same time, I had been struggling with really bad acne for 10 years, since my late teens, and was very insecure because of it. This then sparked me to deep dive into the science of skincare, and having a pharmacy degree supported this steep learning curve,” she explains. Responsible for product formulations and marketing, Rachel launched Oh Hello Bae in June 2020 together with business partners Cheryl and cousin Ashley Goh. This was during the height of the pandemic, when mask‐wearing was of utmost importance and “maskne” became one of the greatest skin issues, playing well into the business’s goal of treating acne, skin inflammation and sensitivity with a host of vegan skin‐caring formulas made in Australia.
She’s the brave one, my security blanket—and that’s exactly what I want my children to have as well.
Contrary to other acne solutions in the market, which can be laden with chemicals and harsh on the skin, Oh Hello Bae’s products focus on naturally derived acne‐busting ingredients that banish the skin’s surface bacteria, and dissolving pore‐clogging sebum, grime and any accumulation of dead skin cells, all without compromising the skin barrier. In fact, the products strive to restore damaged skin’s natural balance and resilience while nutrifying complexions to boost regeneration with ingredients such as Kakadu plum extract. The native Australian fruit has the highest recorded levels of stable vitamin C to help brighten skin, fade dark spots and reduce the look of fine lines.
“It took us months of research and development as well as reformulations to get the brand line‐up to where we wanted it to be. Plus, we faced all sorts of supply chain hiccups because of Covid‐19,” Rachel recalls. “But the silver lining of that year was that we were providing an effective solution to a growing problem, and catering to this rising demand led to a 300 per cent increase in sales over the first six months.”
In case you missed it: Asia’s Most Stylish 2022: 9 Fashion Tastemakers in Singapore to Know
How Cheryl joined the family business and founded wellness and weight management brand Cheryl W is also quite the story. Just like her younger sister, she spent a lot of her time as a little girl in Jean Yip salons, eventually working there as a receptionist in her early teens. “Rachel was a model student, while I never really enjoyed studying,” says Cheryl. “So my mum gave me a choice during the school holidays to either stay home and study or get to work—I chose the latter. I followed her to work and got first‐hand experience dealing with and understanding customers, and I knew that this was something I wanted to do in future.”
Cheryl, however, also loved performing. “After my A levels, I applied to go to New York’s Broadway Dance Center; my dream was to be an artiste,” she shares. “My mum said that if I wanted to pursue it, I still had to go to university, and I resisted, writing her a long letter about how she was the one who told me to chase my dreams. She still went ahead and applied to the National University of Singapore for me, where I went on to study psychology, and also interned at a few clinics over those four years. I developed a strong sense of purpose from this, being able to help people as a psychologist and a counsellor. After graduation, I continued performing and working at Jean Yip to earn money. Eventually, I went to Taiwan and also joined Miss Singapore Universe, which opened a lot of doors and led to me becoming an actress.”
Read more: "Instagram, For Me, Isn’t About Likes" Says Cheryl Wee
Above Cheryl wears a Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II Black Magic 45 mm watch, Gucci dress. Rachel wears a Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II Green Ceramic
45 mm watch, Louis Vuitton jumper
Above Rachel wears a Hublot Big Bang Integrated Beige Ceramic 42 mm watch, Max Mara coat, her own tank top. Cheryl wears a Hublot Integrated Blue Indigo Ceramic 42 mm watch, Fendi coat, top
Cheryl wears a Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II Black Magic 45 mm watch, Gucci dress. Rachel wears a Hublot Big Bang Unico Sang Bleu II Green Ceramic 45 mm watch, Louis Vuitton jumper
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Despite achieving a huge goal of hers, being on the big screen put so much pressure on Cheryl that she developed an eating disorder. For four years, she hated the things that she loved, such as singing, dancing and big family gatherings over the holidays, crippled by the fear of people criticising her appearance. “I had severe body dysmorphic disorder,” she says. “Long story short, my dad advised me to stop in 2016, because it wasn’t just affecting me mentally; I wasn’t doing great physically physically either.”
Her next step was an ironic yet relevant one: taking the helm of the family business’s weight management department, which then grew into what is now known as Cheryl W. “I wasn’t totally OK until I had my first child,” she reveals. “That’s when my eating disorder was completely cured. I had to eat properly to be healthy for myself and my son. Going through this helped me in my business too, where I focused on health and wellness, and weight management through good dietary habits, discipline and mindfulness. We’re in the business of beauty, and my mission is to educate and equip women with the right tools to look and feel good in their own skin.”
Even when faced with extreme obstacles, my sister is a leader, a natural born one.
QUALITY TIME
“We’ve spent most of our lives together, but it wasn’t until we spent time apart did we really find and nurture our own identities,” says Rachel, who studied in Australia while Cheryl pursued a showbusiness career in Taiwan. “Being my older sister, she influenced me a lot, naturally. I would emulate her in many ways; the way she talked, carried herself, behaved and sometimes even dressed. But in our adult lives, she’s the one asking me for fashion advice and I help her with styling because I love fashion.”
Now, as mothers and successful business partners, the two find themselves even more connected in the way they take care of their own families. Rachel says: “Even though we’re so different as individuals, our values and morals are very aligned, especially when it comes to parenting. We’re raising our kids the same way our parents raised us—to be a big, close‐knit unit with our extended family. We come together every weekend, that’s a promise we make to each other, and our children aren’t just relatives, they’re best friends. And we hope they’ll grow up and grow old together as well.”
When asked if they ever felt like they were in their parents’—or each other’s—shadow, the sisters are quick to say no. They are completely unified in their responses: “Our parents not only raised us to chase our dreams and fight for ourselves, as sisters and as strong individuals, but they also always made us work hard to get what we want in life. Nothing came easy, except for the love and protection they’ve showered us with all of our lives.”
Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow
Styling: Adriel Chiun
Hair: Leong using Keune Haircosmetics
Make-up: Angel Gwee
Photography assistant: Eric Tan
Timepieces: Hublot
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