By Julia Gamolina

Pei-Ru Keh brings a world of experience to the hospitality-focused communications and marketing agency, Becca, as VP of Brand Strategy. Prior to joining in 2024, she was the longstanding U.S. Editor of Wallpaper*, where she reported on design, art, architecture, fashion, beauty, and travel, both in print and digital.

A publishing veteran who started her career in London, Pei-Ru now brings her editorial acumen to leading brand strategy and narrative development for clients such as Eric Ripert and Le Bernardin, abc kitchens, Rockwell Group, MML Hospitality and Gracious Hospitality Management, while actively seeking out unexpected stories and partnerships to reflect a range of new perspectives.

Pei-Ru was born and raised in Singapore and has been a proud New Yorker since 2013. Her multi-cultural background informs her approach to both work and life and is best manifested in her love for all snacks and asking lots of questions.

JG: You've seen so many corners of design journalism, from your time as a beauty and lifestyle editor, to design, to now leading brand strategy at Becca. What are you focusing on and thinking about most right now, and what should all of us in design be paying attention to?

PRK: I find myself gravitating to things that feel human and authentic in these digitally dominant times. I love observing personal style in action, whether it’s what people wear or how they live in their homes. We live in an increasingly trend-driven world, and while I appreciate the connectivity that technology brings us, I find reassurance in seeing the ways people are different around the world — from local customs to daily commutes and meals. I love using social media for this reason — dipping a toe into someone else’s world — and am consciously curating my feed to show me as much of this as possible.

At the Palazzo Ralph Lauren in Milan, courtesy of Pei-Ru Keh.

You studied journalism at NYU. What were you hoping to do in the world, and what were your biggest takeaways from this time?

Going from my hometown of Singapore to New York was the biggest milestone for me at that point. Media was in a different place back when I was in college. It’s funny to reflect on now but there wasn’t much in terms of lifestyle coverage then, which in unimaginable in this era of Substack and newsletters, and certainly something that attracted me to ultimately with at Wallpaper*.

As a young person living on my own and far from home for the first time, I was really just figuring out who I wanted to be and how to do it. I started doing lots of internships during the semesters and ended up at Paper magazine, an electronic music magazine in Dumbo, and a women’s magazine in Singapore. I really just wanted to explore and immerse myself in culture, film, music, art. Funny how that has continued to prevail!

What was some of the best advice you got early on that has informed your approach to your work and career?

An editor I worked for early on once told me to be the solution, and that is probably the piece of advice that I’ve held onto the longest in a professional sense. It’s a catch-all for showing initiative, doing your best, figuring things out and learning as you do.

“An editor I worked for early on once told me to be the solution, and that is probably the piece of advice that I’ve held onto the longest in a professional sense. It’s a catch-all for showing initiative, doing your best, figuring things out and learning as you do.”

— Pei-Ru Keh

You were at Wallpaper* for seventeen years. What did you learn from your evolution there?

I really came of age at Wallpaper* and consider so many of my former colleagues there as family. We even coined the term ‘frolleagues’ — friends who are colleagues!

I never set out to work in design and as I navigated learning about it — alongside interviewing and writing about some of the world’s most respected architects, product designers and fashion designers — I placed my focus on the creative process, regardless of discipline. The process of creating an object, feeling, place and environment largely starts in the same way, through an articulation of an inspiration. All the different modes that people create daily continues to fascinate me. Once I determined that to be my approach, every opportunity was boundless.

How did the opportunity at Becca come about for you?

Leaving Wallpaper* wasn’t an easy decision but I did want to try something new after seventeen years. I had, of course, worked with Becca and her team while I was US Editor but really made a connection with her after I wrote about her brother Patrick Parrish, an IYKYK visionary and force in the New York design scene. She wrote me a lovely note — a Becca classic — and when we finally met in person at an event, we got to talking and I casually mentioned I was up for a change. The rest is history!

What’s your role like now?

I oversee brand strategy and help to bring fresh eyes to what our clients do. A lot of that has to do with positioning them in a competitive market and uncovering new stories and partnership opportunities to expand their reach. We work with some of the best restaurants, chefs and hospitality groups globally and it is endlessly inspiring to observe how these experience-driven businesses — both emerging and established — are required to deliver the best that they can night after night. Design and hospitality are inextricably intertwined as design is the vessel that hospitality inhabits. They complement and extend out from each other. It is such a treat to watch the two intersect, especially now that I deeply understand what it takes to deliver great hospitality.

Looking back at it all, what have been the biggest challenges? How did you both manage through perceived disappointments or setbacks?

Making mistakes is all part of learning and ultimately getting better. Joining Becca has certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone but overcoming setbacks is also rewarding to experience. Working alongside truly the best in the hospitality business means that the expectations are high and there’s a constant strive to do better. Recovery and being open-minded to feedback is key!

“...always keep an open mind to the lessons that you can learn along the way. You never know where they will come from.”

— Pei-Ru Keh

Who were your mentors through it all?

I’ve been fortunate to have met many incredible people across my career, and honestly, the ones who have made the biggest difference are women. I would consider Emma Moore, former Lifestyle Director of Wallpaper*, as being a major guiding force for me during my time there. Her creativity around developing themes, telling stories and bringing them to life both narratively and visually really helped me grow and develop my personal viewpoint. Our editorial brainstorming and on-set photoshoot sessions are core memories for me. The ability to identify, develop and then sell an idea, bring it to life while probably iterating under a time crunch — these are lifelong skills I’ll carry with me always.

These days, Becca Parrish and Jee Won Park are my touchstones at Becca. They’ve both shown me how effective it can be to trust your intuition, act decisively, and to use charm and your sense of taste to get results. Power can come in a velvet glove.

Who are you admiring now and why?

I adore Kelsey Keith, creative director at Miller Knoll. She is another former magazine editor who has brought her skills and knowhow to the other side. Her design acumen is bar none, as is her sense of style and awareness of all things. She’s also a working mum of two — her accomplishments are tenfold! I have many saves and bookmarks from her Substack.

I also deeply admire Lois Freedman, CEO and president of Jean-Georges Restaurants. I’ve gotten to know her through working on opening abc kitchens in Dumbo and her sense of personal taste, astute collectors’ eye — she has collected and selected everything object in the space — and flair for hospitality has me simply in awe every time I spend time with her.

Pei-Ru with Jee Park on the way to a PR Net event at Printemps in New York. Courtesy of Pei-Ru Keh.

What is the impact you’d like to have on the world? What is your core mission? And, what does success in that look like to you?

It might sound simplistic but I just want to do good work and have fun learning along the way. If I can see something that I helped put out in the world do well, and be recognized by my peers, colleagues and friends for that, then that’s success to me.

Finally, what advice do you have for those starting their career? Would your advice be any different for women?

My advice for anyone starting their career is to be brave. Don’t hold yourself back. Take risks and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! Change is good. And always keep an open mind to the lessons that you can learn along the way. You never know where they will come from.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

An Open Mind: Journalist and Brand Strategist Pei-Ru Keh on Design, Hospitality, Lessons and Advice