While Mum helms the finances, her children tempt taste buds with cakes such as kueh salat, a butterfly pea flower‑infused indulgence that’s a love letter to their Peranakan roots. Raised in Penang, Ginny’s household was modest albeit modern, filled with a love for music and books.

It is an affinity that has been passed down to her daughter as she makes her mark in the world. Recalling a childhood that moved to the beats from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, Dawn credited Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury as inspirations, while cinematic aesthetics from Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino contributed to her style psyche.

(Related: Watch: Three Ridiculously Easy Ways To Style A Square Silk Scarf, By Dawn Koh)

Besides a love for Prada, Ginny has also instilled the importance of a positive attitude in her daughter. “I want my children to feel blessed, and even when times are tough, to pick themselves up. You can give them material things but what’s most important are values,” she shared.
 
“You told me not to be afraid of being different and to always be yourself,” Dawn added. “You taught me to persevere but to also not be too hard on myself.” Exposed to fashion from a young age, she recalled the times she’d admire her mother’s purposeful power dressing in Prada. “I used to be in awe that she got to travel to these cold countries for work. She’d wear vintage shearling coats, dark brown suede jackets—I was obsessed with them. I used to think, ‘One day, I aspire to be like her.’”

A decade or so later, her mother’s advice still holds water for the London College of Fashion and Le Cordon Bleu graduate. “My mum always tells me not to dress for others,” she shared. “And since I already know my own style, I just have to make fun tweaks.” While Mum used to wear a gold Prada dress on its own, Dawn would add a shirt underneath and pair it with sneakers. Unsurprisingly, Dawn has also inherited an appreciation for the Italian house’s DNA of simplicity in silhouettes and a nonconformist nature.

“Miuccia Prada is an artist,” said Ginny, of the creative force. “Her designs exude an eccentric vibe, yet they possess an enduring quality. She is bold, daring and bucks the trend. I look forward to every season.” 

(Related: Dawn Koh Takes On Hong Kong In Louis Vuitton)

We speak to two other fashion collectors, as they share more about what's in their closets. Find our more in our September issue cover story. 

June Rin | Caroline Low-Heah