Who Is Vivy Yusof? Meet The Luxury Lifestyle Influencer & Founder Of FashionValet
Vivy is a fashion icon and inspiration to many aspiring entrepreneurs.
By Laila Zain — 05 Nov 2024, 05:51 PM
Vivy Yusof is synonymous with Malaysian fashion, entrepreneurship, and influence
As the co-founder of FashionValet and the creative force behind The dUCk Group, Vivy has cemented her status as a prominent figure in Southeast Asia's business landscape.
Aside from her success as an entrepreneur, she's also built a brand for herself as a luxury lifestyle influencer with over 1.8 million followers on Instagram alone.
However, her rise to fame has not come without its share of controversies. While her success story is inspiring, Vivy's journey also serves as a reminder of the challenges that come with being a public figure.
Born Vivy Sofinas Yusof on 11 December 1987, she hails from a well-educated family in Kuala Lumpur
Her parents, both professionals, instilled in her the importance of hard work and academic success from an early age. Vivy pursued her education in the UK, attending a prestigious boarding school before earning a law degree from the London School of Economics (LSE).
Despite her background in law, fashion was always her true calling. With an eye for trends and a flair for business, Vivy decided to carve out her path in the fashion industry, a move that would soon prove to be groundbreaking.
In 2010, Vivy, along with her partner Fadzarudin Shah Anuar, launched FashionValet — one of Malaysia's first online retail platforms for fashion
The couple started FashionValet with a capital of RM100,000, half of which was a loan from Vivy's father, reported Vulcan Post.
"We were a couple of 22-year-olds," Vivy wrote in her autobiography. "Yes, Fadza and I come from comfortable families and our parents are well-off. They were well-off, but we weren't."
At a time when e-commerce in Malaysia was still in its early stages, the couple saw an opportunity to bring local designers to the masses, offering stylish yet affordable options to women across the region. What started as a small-scale operation quickly grew into a multi-million-ringgit business.
FashionValet became a go-to platform for fashion lovers, housing a variety of homegrown and regional brands. Vivy's business savvy, coupled with her social media presence and relatable blogging on ProudDuck, helped her connect with a young, fashion-forward audience, cementing her role as both an entrepreneur and influencer.
Building on her success with FashionValet, Vivy took her brand further by launching dUCk in 2014, starting with headscarves targeted at the modest fashion market
dUCk quickly grew into a lifestyle brand, expanding its product line to include accessories, stationery, and homeware. The dUCk scarf, with its premium materials and distinctive designs, became a sought-after item, symbolising elegance and sophistication.
The brand's marketing strategy, built around storytelling and creating a sense of exclusivity, turned dUCk into more than just a fashion label. Each collection often had a theme or narrative that resonated with women, allowing dUCk to tap into an emotional connection with its audience.
Vivy's success is closely tied to her personal life, with her husband, affectionately known as Fadza, also serving as her business partner and CEO of FashionValet
An engineering graduate from Imperial College London, Fadza joined Vivy in launching FashionValet and has been integral to the company's growth. Together, the couple has built a business empire, with Fadza handling the operational aspects while Vivy leads on creative, branding, and marketing.
The couple has three children, and Vivy often shares her experiences as a working mother, giving her followers a glimpse into the challenges and joys of balancing family life with entrepreneurial success. This transparency has helped solidify her status as a relatable figure to many of her fans.
Apart from her business ventures, Vivy is also known for her strong social media presence
With over 1.8 million followers on Instagram, she has used her platform to promote her brands, share personal stories, and offer insights into her life as an entrepreneur.
Her appearance on the reality TV show Love, Vivy, where contestants competed for a chance to work at FashionValet, further elevated her public persona, positioning her as a mentor figure for young entrepreneurs.
Despite her many achievements, Vivy has sometimes been the subject of controversy
COVID-19 Comments and Backlash
In 2020, Vivy faced intense backlash following comments made during an Instagram Live session, where she expressed concerns about government financial aid potentially benefitting people who might not be working as hard as others. Her remarks were interpreted as being elitist and out of touch with the struggles faced by the B40 community during the pandemic.
The incident triggered widespread criticism, with social media users calling her insensitive and demanding a boycott of her brands. Vivy later issued a public apology, acknowledging her misstep. She took further steps to engage in charitable activities and community outreach to restore public trust.
The dUCk Couture Collection Pricing Debate
dUCk has also come under fire for its pricing, especially with the launch of its Couture Collection in 2019, where scarves were priced at up to RM1,000. While dUCk has always positioned itself as a premium brand, many customers felt that these prices were excessive and criticised the brand for being inaccessible to its core audience.
Vivy defended the pricing, citing the high-quality materials and craftsmanship that went into creating the collection. However, the debate sparked a broader conversation about the balance between exclusivity and accessibility in fashion.
Accusations of Plagiarism
Another controversy arose when dUCk was accused of plagiarism in 2019, with several users pointing out similarities between dUCk's scarf designs and those of a smaller, independent designer. Though dUCk denied the allegations, claiming their designs were original, the incident cast a shadow over the brand and ignited discussions about intellectual property in Malaysia's fashion industry.
FashionValet Layoffs and Employee Relations
In the same year, FashionValet faced criticism for its handling of layoffs during the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. Some former employees publicly shared their negative experiences with the company, citing poor communication and lack of transparency during the process. While FashionValet was not the only company to face difficulties during this period, the controversy led to concerns about internal management practices.
On 1 November 2024, Vivy and Fadza announced their resignation from FashionValet following public criticism over the company's significant financial losses
The key issue is the investment of RM47 million from Khazanah Nasional and Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) in 2018. The goverment-linked investment companies later sold their shares in 2023 for a mere RM3.1 million.
This recorded a loss of around RM44 million or approximately 93.4%.
The case is currently being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for potential violations under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009, which deals with false or misleading financial claims.
