Entrepreneur Vivy Yusof talks to Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan about handling criticism, being grounded and her love for French luxury label Louis Vuitton
WHEN entrepreneur and Instagram star Vivy Sofinas Yusof, 28, stepped into Starhill Gallery one Wednesday morning for a photo shoot with French luxury label Louis Vuitton, she was on brand and on point.
“Hellooo!” she says as she wraps her right hand around me, her other hand pulling a Louis Vuitton Pegase in Monogram Vernis, packed with scarves and inners. “I always come prepared,” she says.
Slung on that petite frame is a criss-cross Malletage carrier with the LV turnlock. “When you turn the lock to open it, it becomes a V,” she beams proudly. On her feet are peep-toe platform in camel, from the same brand.
On her @vivyyusof Instagram account that has more than half a million followers, you will see postings of her various LV carriers. Turns out, Louis Vuitton is her favourite brand.
When Love, Vivy was launched last April, she brought to the event the Capucines in beige, with a metal clasp of L and V, signifying the initial of the show.
But there’s more to Vuitton than just letters for this successful busineswoman. “The carriers are so durable. I still use my mother’s that she bought decades ago. I love it that the bags are luxurious but not dainty. I need something that looks cool on the outside but is tough and functional,” she says.
One of her first purchases was a Mon Monogram Speedy stamped with her initial, VSY. “I was so proud, buying it with my hard-earned salary. There’s nothing more satisfying than working hard for something,” she says.
DILIGENCE IS KEY
Diligence, I found out, is this city girl’s middle name. A straight-A student, Vivy completed her law degree in London School of Economics in 2009. She read law because her father had said that she likes to argue.
“I like reading and writing but legal documents and papers are not things I like to write or read about,” she says.
Upon her return, she worked at her father’s construction company with a starting salary of RM1,500. “My father is proud of his strict parenting. He was adamant that I learn the ropes and receive no special treatment,” she says.
But both the legal and construction business didn’t gel with her soul so in 2010, she started FashionValet with her then-fiance and best friend, Fadzarudin Shah Anuar, 28, with a RM100,000 capital pooled from their savings and borrowings from families.
I met them for the first time in 2012, a few months before the couple tied the knot. Back then, FashionValet operated from an office space in Bukit Damansara with five staff.
Today, the company, estimated to be worth more than RM100 million (based on the funding it received) has its own office in Damansara Perdana and a warehouse in Kota Damansara with 120 people under its payroll.
It has a store in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Another store in the city is in the planning. “Some people still like the touch-and-feel of shopping and both stores are doing well,” she says.
HANDLING ONLINE CRITICS
The first time she was criticised on her blog, proudduck, Vivy says she spent the night crying. Now, she’s cool with criticism. “People will like or hate you no matter what. But criticism has its upside. You get to reflect on other people’s opinion of you, which you don’t get with continuous praises.
“Hateful comments ground you so you don’t get big-headed and think too highly of yourself,” she says.
Whenever she advises young people on business, she tells them to look for criticism. “That’s where you find loopholes you won’t find with people who only agree with you,” she adds.
But the Instagram age, she says, forces businesses to have open communication with customers. When the check-out section of FashionValet crashed during the Songket dUCk launch, she had to send an apology for the hiccup, explaining why some people didn’t manage to pay and some did.
“There has to be transparency. In this day and age, you are expected to be honest and answer with integrity. They are your customers and the ones who have built FashionValet and dUCk.
“For all their support, the least I could do is answer their queries honestly,” she says.
IN HER OWN WORDS
When I was a child, I wanted to be...
A cashier. You press some buttons and a drawer full of money pops open!
Fashion is...
Subjective. What’s important is cultivating your own style sense.
My spirit animal is...
A fly. I like to nag.
What keeps you strong?
Myself and my dependence on Allah. There is enough rezeki to go around, so don’t be scared of competition.
What disturbs you?
Sluggishness. I want things yesterday. And horror movies.
First thing you do after you wake up?
Check my phone for e-mails and messages.
Your wish for your children?
That they experience both success and failure so they understand the importance of humility.
How has being a mother changed you for the better?
It has forced me to be more patient, which is one virtue I’ve always struggled with.
What’s the legacy you’d like to leave your children?
The belief in God. Because when they do, they’ll never fear challenges that come their way. I want them to be strong mentally and spiritually, to have courage and to be kind.
Instagram is...
A double-edged sword. I feel the need to Instagram precious moments and sometimes I don’t savour them the way I should.
Luxury means...
A reward and not necessarily expensive. It can be time spent with loved ones or time alone with a good book. Anything that enriches you is luxury.
What’s your favourite city and why?
London. I have a lot of memories there and it was also where I met Fadza and fell in love. We are trying to make an annual trip to London and perhaps move there after our children have gone to university.
Photography by Eric Lim @ Blink Studio
Make-up by Syed Faizal Syed Noh
Location at Louis Vuitton boutique, Starhill Gallery.