TEAM ORIENTED

Vivy Sofinas Yusof (Vivy) from Kuala Lumpur, managing director of Fashion Valet.com. Social media is where Vivy started her touch. Anything she is pictured wearing from FashionValet immediately turns into social media likes, page views and purchases.

Six years ago, Vivy started her blog Proudduck, which she kept while studying at the London School of Economics. She loved to write and started the online journal to pen her thoughts and experiences as a student abroad.It wasn’t long before she built a loyal following of readers, comprising mostly young Malaysian women who connected with her wit, humour and aspirational style.

Fast forward to 2010, when Vivy and her then-boyfriend, Fadzarudin Shah Anuar, returned from London. In the Big Smoke, widespread e-commerce meant that everything they wanted was a mere mouse-click away. Coming home, the absence of mainstream online retail was a glaring gap that begged to be filled.

So they set out to try something. Fashion was a clear opportunity for someone with a following of young, style-conscious readers.“I thought the target was there already,” Vivy says. “My readers are female, in their 20s to 30s, people who can spend and who are fashion-conscious.”

What 27-year-old Vivy has got going for her and her e-commerce site is her already sizeable and loyal audience..FashionValet has raked in close to RM10 million in revenue this year alone, after 3 and a half years in business. This year is also the year FashionValet turned profitable.

FashionValet shoppers know that dUCk scarves are constantly sold out. Bags that she’s seen carrying typically sell out within the hour, going to ardent fans who collect them in multiple colours. She is at once an entrepreneur, a celebrity of sorts and a social icon for thousands of young Malay women and everyday young mother in Asian.

"When first creating this business, I move with the group to find a local fashion designers. In the first month we managed to collect a total of 15 local designers but, at that time there was no office to operate.”

"Within two months of running this business, I hired four employees including the manager of Azwa Elena Azmi, 24, or Wawa and Anis Faezah Faid, 21, executive operating jointly responsible for the smooth running of this business because I was too busy, "said Vivy who serves as managing director FashionValet.net.

By having Fashion Valet, Vivy has fashioned unlimited opportunities. She admitted spent thousands of ringgit every month to fulfill her obsession with fashion.

"I make sure I have a shirt for each brand that I sell in FV. For me, local design and quality also beautifully styled but most do not have a medium to promote their brands.”

"But I still be selective in choosing a design that accompanies FV. I chose designs that are relevant to wear, simple and do not overdo it. Wawa an important role in this project because we often exchange views, " she said.