Fanty Soenardy is a woman of many passions. The Indonesia-born Singaporean enjoys cooking and baking up a storm, keeps fit with Muay Thai, loves fast cars, and is a fashion and jewellery fiend – just to name a few. Above everything else, however, she loves being a mother.
Meeting with me over afternoon tea at The Drawing Room in The St. Regis Singapore, the 49-year-old has recently returned from Paris and London, where she was visiting her 22-year-old daughter, Louisa, a second-year Economics student at University College London. Her son, Dillon, 20, is currently performing his National Service before returning to New Jersey to complete his university education.
As a homemaker, Fanty has always been close to both her children and admits that sending them abroad for school was one of the toughest decisions she has had to make as a mother. “I think the biggest worry for parents when their children go overseas is that they won’t come back,” she says. “But I realised that when you have brought them up to have good character and built a close bond with them, it doesn’t matter how much freedom you give your kids because they will always come home. I can also trust them to protect themselves there and make the right choices.”
Also recognising that her children’s interests lay overseas, she had to let go. “I cannot stop them just because I can’t bear to part with them,” Fanty adds. “I also cannot show that I’m sad because that will hold them back. They need to pursue their goals and dreams and when I see that they are happier there and more independent, I know that I’ve made the right decision.”
NATURE AND NURTURE
This story is from the May 2022 edition of Prestige Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2022 edition of Prestige Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Power To The People
Boucheron creative director Claire Choisne's latest high-jewellery creations are stylish statements of authority and achievement.
Walking into the Blue
Dive into luxury at Depth of Blue, Johnnie Walker Blue Label's first flagship bar in Southeast Asia. Dive into luxury at Depth of Blue, Johnnie Walker Blue Label's first flagship bar in Southeast Asia.
IN THE FLOW
For ANDRÉ FU, travel isn't so much a means of inspiration as it is a way to detach from everyday life to approach his work from fresh perspectives.
CHIC VOLUMES
Impractically oversized but utterly beautiful tomes featuring an eclectic subject, coffee table books serve to kick-start conversations in addition to being subtle avenues of sophisticated self-expression. Here are six titles to consider having on your living room table.
VICTOR OVER TIME
35 years after they broke convention as renegade art students, Phillip Lim catches up with eminent artist SUZANN VICTOR to reminisce about past escapades and how far the artist has come.
Circle of Friends
A Singapore family that has set up a second home in remote Kenya shares their connection with the local communities with guests of their lodge.
VIVE LA WEAVE
Chanel's latest high jewellery collection celebrates the innovation that put her squarely in the pantheon of legendary fashion designers.
VIEW BEYOND THE RACES
For Richard Mille, life in the fast lane is more than just performance-driven machines, it's a profound appreciation for excellence in various forms.
OFF TO THE FAIR
Watch clients are increasingly dropping into Watches and Wonders, a trade fair meant for retailers and media personnel. Here's why.
STEP LIVELY
In the original design of Hermès' Mon Premier Galop shawl by Chinese artist Tong Ren, a horse with an awkward yet happy gait is depicted in simple lines, colour blocks, and decorative-trimming inspired by traditional basketry.