Scions Mae Tan, Brandon And Julien Leo Strike Out On Their Own In New York

Singapore’s retail scions, Mae Tan and twins Brandon and Julien Leo, are ready to take on the Big Apple, and then, the world. Daphne Chen-Cordeiro joins them for the ride

- Daphne Chen-Cordeiro

It was a quiet, misty Saturday morning in May. we were in Brooklyn, right at the corner of John Street and Adam Street, and we’ve got quite the view. Mae Tan, and twins Brandon and Julien Leo are nailing this issue’s cover shot, in front of the majestic dusty-blue Manhattan Bridge, which is shrouded in fog. The three Singaporeans are old friends, who haven’t seen each other in a while— the Leo twins have been studying in New York City for the past two years, while Mae will be moving over in August. Both their families are influential retail players in Asia, but these scions have dropped everything to make their own way here.

MARCHING TO THEIR OWN BEAT

Brandon and Julien are the 23-year-old twin sons of Tina Tan-Leo and Lionel Leo, prominent names and entrepreneurs in Singapore’s fashion retail scene during the 1990s and early 2000s. Mum was most noted for founding fashion retailer The Link Group and bringing in the Gianni Versace brand onto our shores in the late 1970s. She’s now focused on Private, a company that curates luxury trunk shows for top private customers. “Dad’s company is One Road Capital, which works on various projects related to China’s Belt and Road initiative,” explains Julien, the younger of the two brothers.