ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – The teen who was shamed online for calling Charles & Keith a “luxury” brand on TikTok is having the last laugh.
The brand invited Zoe Gabriel and her father to have lunch on Wednesday with its founders, brothers Charles and Keith Wong, who, “coming from humble beginnings, were so inspired by her humility”.
They also toured the Charles & Keith headquarters in Singapore yesterday.
Zoe, 17, was mocked by some users after she uploaded a video to the social media platform on Sunday, thanking her father for her “first luxury bag” from the home-grown fashion brand.
The black Double Handle Tote Bag is priced at SGD79.90 on Charles & Keith’s website and the most expensive bag she owns.
While Charles & Keith remained mum on whether it would sponsor any bags for her or collaborate with her, a source from inside the company told The Straits Times she was gifted “with products and vouchers”. Other businesses are also plying her with gifts.
Local ramen chain Takagi Ramen offered her family SGD80 in meal vouchers and Zoe thanked local hair salon Kimistry Hair Boutique for her “new look” in a video post.
Zoe impressed many when she replied to the trolls by posting a follow-up video in which she tearily explains her humble background and talks about privilege.
She told ST via e-mail that her family moved to Singapore from the Philippines in 2010. While she declined to say more about her parents, ST understands that her father works as a mechanical engineer.
Both her clips on her bag have since gone viral, attracting a collective 8.5 million views.
“My family didn’t have a lot. We couldn’t buy things as simple as bread from BreadTalk… when we moved to Singapore… Your comment spoke volumes on how ignorant you seem because of your wealth,” said the eldest of four siblings, who is being home-schooled.
Charles & Keith reached out to Zoe after seeing her TikTok clip.
The company’s spokesman told ST in an e-mail, “Our hearts really went out to Zoe, but we were so impressed with (how gracefully) she handled the situation, displaying wisdom far beyond her years and values that resonated with us greatly.
“Our founders believe that our products should spark joy, empower fashion lovers and give them confidence, something we believe she presented so eloquently in her video and for which we are so grateful.”
Charles & Keith was founded by siblings Charles and Keith Wong in 1996, who learnt the ropes by working at their mother’s shoe store in Ang Mo Kio.
