The Malaysian fashion entrepreneur also talks candidly about how social media has changed the game for young entrepreneurs and content creators
Datin Vivy Yusof is a household name in Malaysia. Many have followed her from her early days as a law student and blogger to her subsequent pivot into entrepreneurship, co-founding e-commerce retail company FashionValet and fashion label The dUCk Group, alongside her then-boyfriend (now husband) Dato’ Fadzarudin Anuar.
Vivy’s dUCk label, which started out selling scarves and expanded to accessories, bags, and cosmetics, has amassed a cult following. With the help of investors over the years, the couple eventually opened brick-and-mortar outlets and expanded their operations to Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei. In 2022, she was recognised as BoF 500 as one of the most influential voices in Southeast Asia.
After running a successful blog and YouTube channel with a stint on reality TV series, Love, Vivy, this social media darling with 1.8 million followers on Instagram is taking on a new medium, penning an autobiography published by Penguin Books SEA. She brings to this book, The First Decade: My Journey from Blogger to Entrepreneur, her trademark humour and total honesty.
Related: How Vivy Yusof mobilised her influencer for good with the FV Covid-19 Support Fund
Tell us more about your experience writing this book. What was the most difficult part?
I have loved writing for as long as I could remember. Ever since I was young, my dream was to write a book. I always thought it would be a fictional novel but life has taken me here. I had the idea of writing this book when I was celebrating the 10-year anniversary of FashionValet. I thought it would be a great way to commemorate the last decade, while helping other entrepreneurs. There are so many books about entrepreneurship by people who have already made it so I thought I could share a different take as someone who is very much still on that journey.
While writing this book, it was definitely difficult to be forced to confront all the mistakes I had made and relive all the painful moments of my career—and write about them in full detail. Normally, you put your mistakes past you, move forward, and try not to think about it ever again! But I'm glad I was able to tell my side of the story and in the end, it was a therapeutic experience.
Related: Datin Vivy Yusof and Dato' Fadzarudin Anuar welcome newborn with an Aqiqah ceremony