Village People: Starry Island
Starry Island is a brand built from a lifelong love of baking and handmade crafts, founded by Dan (Diane) Dong and co-founder Hannah. After previously selling through consignment at Miji Gifts in the Waterfront Container Village, they’ve now opened their first brick-and-mortar location in Graffiti Alley, with plans to introduce bubble tea soon.
We spoke with Diane about what inspired Starry Island, her background as a General Manager and Co-Owner, and what led her to open the store with Hannah.
Q: What’s your favourite colour?
A: I think purple is probably my favourite colour, but I also love green, blue, pink and many more.
Q: Where did the idea for the business come from?
A: I’ve loved baking and handmade crafts since I was little, and worked in both for many years. Driven by a shared passion for desserts and handcrafted work, Hannah and I founded Starry Island together.
Q: How did you come up with the name of your business?
A: We believe every soul is a unique island. Starry Island scatters handmade jewellery like stars, gently embellishing your exclusive view.
Q: Did you have a different job before you started working here? What did you do?
A: I was the General Manager and Co-Owner of a store.
Q: Is your container village location your first brick-and-mortar retail shop?
A: Not for me personally, but for Starry Island, yes! It’s our first brick-and-mortar location.
Q: Why did you want to set up shop at AREA 506?
A: We find the container store concept really unique and appealing. We also had our goods on consignment at another shop in the Waterfront Container Village last year, so we’re confident in AREA 506’s management and customer base.
Q: Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were starting out?
A: We wouldn’t do anything differently, but I don’t think we realized how much work actually goes into a business. It’s hard work!
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A jewellery designer or a baker.
Q: Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out?
A: Not really. I truly believe everything is the best arrangement.
Q: What do you consider your biggest success so far?
A: Doing what I love every single day.
Q: What’s next?
A: Wishing everything goes smoothly for AREA 506 this season, and hoping our products get seen and loved by more people.
If you’re an entrepreneur with a business that you think would be a great fit in the Waterfront Container Village, and you’re interested in hearing more about available opportunities, email hidden; JavaScript is required — we’d love to hear from you!