Jillian Tan and the Jada Hoops earrings in Manhattan Brown (All photos: Poppylab)
What should you do when something you want is unattainable? Craft them yourself, of course. At least, that was the case for Jillian Tan, founder of local artisan jewellery brand Poppylab. “Back in 2012, there weren’t that many options for costume jewellery. I just could not find the things that I wanted. I had been working in Australia for a couple of months and the retail market for accessories there was very vibrant — there were a lot of selections. The people there were generally a bit more bold when it came to dressing up too,” she says. Inspired, she was determined to fulfil her desires and address the gap in the Malaysian market.
The passion to create was ingrained from early on. Recalling the memory of playing with beads and carrying around imitation trinkets at the young age of five, Tan had always been drawn to personal ornaments, fashion and style. Prior to Poppylab, she ran a lifestyle blog on which she shared personal stories and DIY (do-it-yourself) projects, making her own necklaces and bags. What’s more, craftsmanship is a hereditary trait — both her parents are art teachers and her brother is an industrial designer. “It kind of runs in the family, but I was always quite determined to not get into the creative side of things. I don’t know why, but since young, I always had this feeling that the repetition of art could destroy it, in the context of doing it as a job.”
With time, the realisation dawned upon her that this was something she truly enjoyed, so what started out as a hobby slowly evolved into a full-time pursuit. After almost 10 years in the corporate realm while simultaneously tending to her business, she finally took the leap in 2018 to concentrate on the venture. “Most people assume that my name is Poppy, but I just really like the flower,” she laughs. The name occurred to her unexpectedly while sitting in a café. “When you observe wild poppies growing in a field, they’re so joyful looking and I wanted the brand to be a place that could always make people feel good — like a happy lab.”
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Poppylab offers a variety of decorative accessories — earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets and anklets. This range is further reflected in the myriad of things Tan draws inspiration from. It could be a feeling, a colour palette or even a specific aesthetic which she then translates into jewellery. The Taiping-born entrepreneur, who used to frequently volunteer at the city’s zoo, says her love for nature and wildlife is a major influence. These days, her customers are her muses. “It may sound quite cheesy, but I like to think about what they would want and what would help them look and feel good. I think I’m quite similar to my customers as well, so I also come from the logic where if it is something I would like, then they would too.”
Tan is pulling off a one-woman act by steering the ship on her own. With an academic background in business, Poppylab is the perfect platform to utilise both her professional and artsy skills. Every so often, she outsources tasks to part-timers and third-party agencies for assistance with operations such as packing and fulfilling orders. The other hats — marketing, design, modelling and customer service — are all worn by her.
Managing an enterprise, let alone solo, is not a simple feat. “A lot of times, I have a million and one ideas that I want to execute but there is always a limited amount of budget, time and manpower,” Tan explains. Despite this, she stresses that a one-woman show has its perks. “Especially when the pandemic happened, being small was a blessing in disguise. You don’t have the responsibility of a big team. You can pivot and make adjustments very quickly if needed.”
Being positive is one of her most powerful traits, and she is steadfast when dealing with the assortment of challenges she faces on this journey. Praising Malaysians for being an empathetic community, she notes the change in purchasing patterns, given the current political climate. “If something negative happens, you can really feel the slowdown in sales because people are affected by the news.” The industry has also seen a massive rise in competition with new local and international brands coming onto the scene, particularly in the last couple of years. Still, in a Poppy-like manner, she remains optimistic about what lies ahead.
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Various materials and compositions are used in the handmade process, including a blend of polymer clay, metals and stones. Being made from scratch means that each item is unique in its own way, with no two pieces being exactly the same. Although design remains at the heart of things, Poppylab products stand out for their affordable price point, wearability and pertinence. “Rather than only keeping up with trends, I try to stay relevant by thinking about my customers’ lifestyles. Whether they are from an age group similar to mine or younger, if they are young mothers, corporate ladies or working in other industries as doctors or lawyers — what kind of jewellery would they need?”
With a repertoire as radiant as her creations, the embellishment-maker has a number of triumphs to her name. Some of her proudest projects are those that champion causes she stands for. In 2019, she launched a series dedicated to the plight of hornbills in collaboration with Sabah-based research and conservation organisation Hutan. She also created abstract earrings to raise awareness of breast cancer in partnership with now-defunct skincare brand Root Remedies in 2020.
As peak season approaches, Tan busies herself in the studio, conjuring up innovative ideas for the upcoming festivities. “Right now, we are moving closer towards Christmas, then Chinese New Year and Raya are happening very early next year. There’s going to be a lot of new launches coming soon and I’ve been working really hard to come up with more diverse ideas to keep things fresh.”
Besides participating in bazaars and pop-up booths, she hopes to increase her reach outside the online space by creating more touchpoints for customers. This way, people can have a better look and feel of the brand, especially those who have not been introduced to it yet. Plans to grow exist, albeit not in the traditional sense. “I am definitely looking to expand while still being able to maintain the flexibility that I like. Being a one-person company, you will max out to a certain extent, so I need to think about future developments. No matter the obstacles, I still have a lot of faith in the jewellery industry, and I believe if I continue with my approach of keeping things affordable and up-to-date, there will always be a place for Poppylab.”
This article first appeared on Dec 1, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
