Of family, friends and Dirty Santas 

TJIN LEE SPEAKS ANIMATEDLY. AND fast. One supposes she has to, given that the high-profile entrepreneur and busy mother-of-two juggles multiple roles. She heads the South-east Asian arm of marketing and digital agency, Gusto Collective, which last year acquired Mercury Integrated – an award-winning public relations, events and marketing agency Lee founded in 2001. Lee is also co-founder of Creating Responsible & Innovative Businesses (Crib), a social enterprise that equips women to become successful entrepreneurs, and Life Beyond Grades, a parent-led initiative seeking to alleviate the growing pressures of school on children.As the woman behind notable fashion events Audi Fashion Festival and Singapore Fashion Week, dealing with top luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands is par for the course for Lee.The influential lifestyle maven has 109,000 followers on Instagram, on which she shares candidly about everything. There are styling tips, pictures from the parties she’s attending, as well as the lowdown on how she’s facing up to ageing and ditching the things, people and opinions that don’t matter. You can also follow her as she sets off on holidays with family and friends, and shows admiration for her spritely 84-year-old father.Hers looks like a jam-packed, glamorous life – and it is. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOUFriday, 2 pmLifestyleOur picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.But sitting down for a chat with Lee and her husband, John Lim, the warm and vivacious go-getter comes across like a fun-loving girlfriend you’d swop beauty and parenting tips with. And when it comes to Christmas, the 51-year-old’s focus is simple – family, friends and simply being grateful.Traditions of the seasonThe second of four sisters, Lee’s enduring childhood memory is staying up late on Christmas Eve, so their parents would let the girls open a present each before they go to bed. SEE ALSO“It was a time of joy and excitement,” she recalls. “And when we wake up on Christmas morning, the family would gather and we’d open the rest of our presents together. It was really fun.” Lee still tries to capture that childhood joy with her own kids – 11-year-old Tyler and nine-year-old Jake. One year, she hid their presents around the house so the boys had to hunt them down. Tjin Lee wears a long black wool dress and Escale watch. John Lim wears a black wool suit and Escale watch. Also featured are the Graphical Beach Blanket and Constellation tableware. All by Louis Vuitton.  PHOTO: DARREN GABRIEL LEOWAnd in the days leading to Christmas, the couple attends parties with friends where they play a game of Dirty Santa. But it’s not what you think. “It’s not dirty in an adult way,” laughs Lim. “Rather, we get to steal each other’s presents.” With the cost capped at S$20 or S$30 each, they have found that the most coveted gifts are “random things” such as power banks, card games, neck fans, golf hats and T-shirts. For Lee, these year-end get-togethers with close friends are always casual affairs, and a welcome change from the many galas and events throughout the year that they dress up for. This year, like previous ones, they will be having a quiet Christmas Eve dinner at Lee’s parents’ home, before returning the next day for a multi-generational family gathering for breakfast and Christmas lunch. “It’s very easy and relaxing with no running around since all the parties are done,” says Lee, adding that Christmas dinner will then be with Lim’s side of the family.Year-end reflectionsFor Lim, who runs his own commodities company, the past year has been a busy one full of changes. “I’m in international trading, which has a lot to do with taxes and tariffs, and we’ve been able to navigate that successfully,” he says. “So I’m thankful. And my wife is happy, that’s what matters!”Petite Malle porcelain vase and Constellation tableware by Louis Vuitton. PHOTO: DARREN GABRIEL LEOWOn her part, Lee says 2024 has been a year of adjustment and growth, after coming off an exceptionally buoyant, post-Covid 2023. “I was exploring, wanting to do new things, and do them differently,” she shares. “There’s been a lot more for me to think about this year and how to carry them through to 2025.” But what she’s especially grateful for is the opportunity to travel one-on-one with her sons. “It’s really special because the children want to have unique memories with you as well,” she says of her boys, who have completely different interests. “And when I take one with me, the other stays home with John and they bond.” One of the greatest rewards this year came when Jake’s teacher noted in his report card that he is a very empathetic and inclusive child. The boy had befriended – possibly at some cost to his own popularity – a classmate who was being made fun of and excluded by others. “For me, it’s about kindness and the ability to not conform and to stand up for others, themselves and the things they believe in,” says the proud mother. Meanwhile, Tyler has been described by another parent as a lovely, well-mannered boy. Such encouraging feedback affirms the couple’s efforts in grounding them and building their character. But with the dreaded Primary School Leaving Examinations looming next year for Tyler, Lee is understandably apprehensive, especially as the boy has dyslexia and attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder. “I pray that letting him be and constantly telling him that grades aren’t everything and don’t define him, will be enough to take us across that finish line.” And that, surely, would be a Christmas wish that hopefully comes true.Credits:
Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow
Fashion direction & styling: CK
Make-up: Sharon Marie, using Shiseido/The Suburbs Studio
Hair: Alison Tay, using Goldwell
Location: This Humid House



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