#3EIGHTHConversations with Jaye Foo (@jayefunk) and Nicholette Pang (@nicholettepang)
#3EIGHTHConversations is a project where we celebrate people who dare, and support the brewing communities of the underdogs and everyone else in between. We hope to bring these heartfelt stories of strong, independent individuals who are living their own beliefs and never backing down in challenging situations. After all, we’re all about people who try, and give themselves an allowance to be.
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Starring Jaye Foo (@jayefunk) and Nicholette Pang
Photos by Ben Matchap and Tim Wah
It’s been awhile since we’ve put together a piece of 3EIGHTH Conversations and we’re happy to finally bring you another feature of our heartfelt sessions with people we love after a long break through with COVID-19.
Interestingly enough for us, we were lucky to get to know entrepreneurial husband-wife duo Jaye Foo, 29 and Nicholette Pang, 24 who are the main brains of the operation behind The Parlour SG , which aims to bring together the creatives and musicans of Singapore. We first touched base online during the Circuit-breaker, and finally got around meeting up after. The first thing that caught my attention were their chemistry - they were like two peas in a pod. They were an extremely easy-going couple and were supportive of each other’s decisions, even right down their matching clothing choices.
Jaye is also a committed music artiste, and his latest release “ADHD”, highlights mental health issues and he’s even released a line of merch to support the cause. In fact, both Nicholette and Jaye consciously ensure that the businesses they invest in must highlight the budding local scene of music and arts, which connects back what they love and do. It was heartening to see that despite the sudden changes and disruptions due to the COVID-19, that the both of them chose to press on with their goals and ideals, and to lift others up even during this difficult period.
On this 3EIGHTH Conversations, we get the low-downs on Jaye and Nicholette’s married and working life together.
Jaye, you started out as a music artiste and was based in several places from places like UK to Japan. What motivated you to come back to Singapore?
JAYE: Music has always been a part of my life and how I express myself. I first started out playing the drums when I was little, and branched out to playing other instruments. I eventually got around to trying many formats too during my teens. I can’t really see myself doing anything else other than music honestly, because it’s always been the core of my life.
Travelling was really a way for me to figure out the next steps of my career, and coming back to Singapore wasn’t exactly by choice. I was actually based in the UK just a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I ran into some issues with my visa, which ultimately led me to come back sooner than I planned for.
By a stroke of luck and a few parties later hah, I met Nicholette during my time back in Singapore. We fell hard for each other, dated for 4 months and have been married for two years since! (laughs)
Well it seems like you both tend to go with the flow of things and have great chemistry!
NICHOLETTE: Yeah it all happened real quick, and I think we are both extremely spontaneous people who had similar views, so I said yes in a heartbeat. Actually, many people thought it was a shotgun marriage but nah-uh! I just love that we can be ourselves around each other. I’ve never felt so comfortable just being able to be myself in this relationship.
JAYE: Yeah for sure, that’s actually what I love most about Nic - that she’s always ready to roll with any crazy ideas I have. Settling down really helped me to focus more on the work rather than the place I’m in, and honestly, nothing matters more than having the right support and frame of mind of course. They always say that “behind every great man is a greater woman” and I always come back to that. Because she’s my support system.
Jaye and Nic’s take on matchy-matchy outfits via their Instagram (@mistermissusfunk)
What are your favourite things to do together then?
JAYE: I think we practically support each other so much that everything seems tough to not be a favourite. Whether it’s seeking out new food places to try, or making funny videos together, we just kind of vibe.
NICHOLETTE: Yeah totally, it’s always been super chill. I guess if there was anything specific, it’ll probably be how we love to match our clothes for the fun of it. I remember we were in Japan one time and we literally saw a matching couple clothing set right off a window and thought “That’d be fun”. It’s now become a thing for us and we’ve even set up an Instagram account for that now just to document our outfits.
JAYE: I absolutely love how empowering the act of dressing up can be. It’s a fun way to be expressive. I put a lot of emphasis on dressing up when I perform too.
“They always say that “behind every great man is a greater woman” and I always come back to that. Because she’s my support system.”
— JAYE FOO ON HIS WIFE, NICHOLETTE PANG
Jaye, could you share about what inspires your music and your latest single,“ADHD”?
Jaye’s latest single, “ADHD” on a bandersnatch inspired video where you can choose your own end
Nicholette, we’ve noticed you were on Jaye’s MVs and sung on some of your own too. Do you think you’ll get into music making too?
Well I guess you two have quite a handful, with a number of businesses to juggle around. What have you both been recently working on together?
JAYE: It’s always an ongoing process for us. We tend to get really just far out with our ideas and then decide if we love it or not, and if it’s going to make financial sense for us to push on with the execution. After all, there must be some business sensibilities so that there is sustainability with what we love and want to support as well.
NICHOLETTE: Definitely. Recently we’ve started working on a smaller scaled project called “The Opulence” which is a flowers and gift box store and we make it a point to be LGBTQIA+ friendly too with more floral options to attract more males, whom we feel are left out in the market at the moment. We’ve been in talks with a couple of food caterers to see what sort of goodies we can provide for subscription too. Hopefully, it’d come through!
one of Nicholette and Jaye’s businesses that have been recently launched.
JAYE: Yeah that was something fresh to us. Nicholette is also working on her upcoming brand “Barebodies” which will be releasing a new product called “Nipsticks”. These are nipple stickers and will be available in several shades to cater to women of different races and skin tones too.
Most of the efforts though are definitely concentrated on our primary business - The Parlour SG as we’ve recently opened our doors. The Parlour concept also recently launched in Seoul, Korea, but with the pandemic we have been unable to travel there. Still, we’re equally excited for more people to come experience it whether you’re in Singapore or Seoul!
So what inspired you to set up The Parlour SG here in Singapore after its Seoul, Korea launch?
JAYE: I just thought it’d be really nice to create a new culture of appreciation of local creatives and their works. The goal really was to create somewhat of an all-in-one place for creatives, like a Disneyland of sorts so we can all have a magical place to bond in and create new things together. Under The Parlour SG we have about four key concepts running alongside each other.
The first floor consists of a bar and bistro called “Mirage” that serves Japanese-Mediteranean cuisine, and some really nice craft beer and seasonal stuff. On the second and third floor we have a jamming and recording studio “The Music Parlour” which is an extension of our current concept at Peninsula Shopping Centre, as well as “Grid Culture” which focuses on music production lessons. Last but not least, we have a space for creative workshops called “Freeflow”, which is headed by Nicholette as it was her idea to put together the concept.
NICHOLETTE: Yeah it was really months in the planning and we’ve just been running back and forth getting operationally ready. With Freeflow it came out quite randomly when we were having an ideation session and I thought it’d be nice to have a completely white space, from the walls to the floor and right down to the furniture itself. It was like a blank canvas of sorts for creatives across different fields to apply their touch to it. Whether it was through conducting a workshop or a small exhibition.
We’ve always wanted a space where people could work off and hang out at ease at, and this concept honours what we both love and stand for. I’m just glad it’s finally launched after so many months of planning and delays with COVID.
Jaye and Nicholette wears matching Relaxed Double-Breasted Suiting in Lilac, paired with their own platform sneakers
What’s it like working with each other too? Is it tough to balance out discussions or agree on ideas or do you find that it’s a breeze?
NICHOLETTE: I’ve never really thought about it - I guess it’s also because we’ve never really had a hard time coming to an agreement? Hahah, it’s just chill that way.
JAYE: Yeah it’s always been like if one of us knows more than the other we tend to listen to the one who’s better in that field. It’s always been quite an organic process when we bounce off ideas and think about how we can make it fun. But it’s never been a painful situation where we tear each other apart even when we had different views. We always tend to just ask why and then try to get to a solution.
Could you both leave us with some advice for other budding entrepreneurs and creatives as well?
JAYE: I would really say to trust your gut and also work out the calculations on whether it makes sense to invest both your time and money into it. Having passion for something is one part of the process, but also ensuring that there’s longevity in what you love to do too!
NICHOLETTE: For me, I always spot new potentials or gaps based on my experiences and it’s important to really do your research to ensure that your products or service is of quality, that way you can always insert your experiences to your business and constantly make improvements when you need to. It really changes when you have a vested interest in making other people’s lives more enriched or better.
We thank Jaye and Nicholette for being a part of #3EIGHTHConversations. For the husband and wife duo - we worked matching suits for their love of coordination. The result was a relaxed look that would work for a formal or casual setting and to factor in their love for sneakers and pair well with it. It was an honour and opportunity to see this come to life x x
Follow Jaye and Nicholette’s matchy outfits and adventures on Mr & Mrs Funk, and check out The Parlour SG - we’re sure you don’t want to miss out on their 1-for-1 craft beer specials!
