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PROFILE
145
November14
LINEN
How long have you been living
in Singapore?
We moved here fromMelbourne almost
five years ago. My situation is the typical
“trailing spouse” story. My husband got
a transfer from Melbourne and I moved
over with him and my son, who was born
there; we’ve just had a baby girl, Taara,
here this year. For us, Singapore seems
like a great spot to raise a family. Before
that, we’d lived and worked in Chicago
and India.
After an international expat
journey, mother and entrepreneur
NANDINI MEHRA has settled
down in Singapore and is striking
a balance between her new
business, Hot Men in Linen, and
family life with her two young
children and husband.
Expat
Living
paid a visit to her condo
in Telok Kurau to find out more.
So, you’ve come a long way since
you started your expat journey.
Yes, we’ve been travelling around for
the past ten years like nomads – but
now I think that Singapore will be our
base. I feel far more rooted here than in
any of the other places I’ve lived. I loved
Chicago life, but it was very fast-paced,
and I was in a completely different stage
of my life and career. I worked for a big
public relations firm there – part of the
Publicis group. I transferred to work in
the same firm in Melbourne, but after I
had my son and moved to Singapore
it became clear I couldn’t commit to
full-time work the way a public relations
company demands, so I had to look for
an alternative.
Living in
How did the idea to start your
own business, Hot Men in Linen,
come about?
I think a lot of things fell in place at the
right time. I wanted to start a business
that would sustain me while my kids
were small, something that was my own
and where I could work flexibly – it’s a
common story, really! The benefits are
that I get to play an overseeing role and
spend time withmy family when I need to.
When I arrived in Singapore, I
discovered that the men’s clothing
was very limited. There were high-end
brands, which aren’t accessible to
everyone, and there was run-of-the-mill
mass-market clothing, which all ends
up looking quite similar. I didn’t see a