Vivy Yusof: The Luxury Lifestyle Queen Who Built Her Empire But Couldn’t Escape The Drama

Source: SAYS

Vivy Yusof is a name that echoes across Malaysia’s fashion scene, but her rise to fame hasn’t been without its fair share of controversy. Known for her role as the co-founder of FashionValet and the mastermind behind The dUCk Group, Vivy’s success story is anything but a fairytale.

Born into a well-off family, Vivy’s life was mapped out for her — until she decided to rewrite the script. Despite her law degree from the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE), Vivy swapped her legal career for fashion. With her husband Fadzarudin Shah Anuar by her side, she launched FashionValet in 2010 with just RM100,000 — half of it a loan from her father. They quickly turned their small venture into a multi-million-ringgit empire. But, as the saying goes, the higher you rise, the harder you fall.

While Vivy became a darling of Southeast Asia’s entrepreneurial world, her story hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Controversies like her comments about COVID-19 financial aid sparked a massive backlash. Her words about how government support during the pandemic might benefit those who “weren’t working as hard” as others were seen as out of touch and elitist, prompting calls for boycotts of her brands. Ouch!

And if that wasn’t enough, her luxury brand dUCk has come under fire for its high-end pricing. In 2019, the launch of the dUCk Couture Collection, with scarves priced up to RM1,000, ignited a debate about whether the brand had priced itself out of reach for its loyal fans. Is this the fine line between exclusivity and alienation?

Not stopping there, Vivy’s brand faced accusations of plagiarism. Users pointed out how certain dUCk scarf designs seemed eerily similar to those from a smaller, independent designer. Though Vivy and her team denied the claims, it didn’t stop the drama from swirling.

And just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse, the couple’s company, FashionValet, became the center of attention again after facing financial difficulties, culminating in a government-linked investment company’s massive loss. In November 2024, Vivy and Fadzarudin made the shocking announcement that they were stepping down from FashionValet, just as the company faced scrutiny from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged financial missteps.

Despite these hurdles, Vivy’s entrepreneurial spirit hasn’t dimmed. She still reigns as a fashion mogul, building her influence with over 1.8 million Instagram followers. Yet, the question remains — in the glamorous world of luxury fashion, can you ever truly escape the controversies that come with success?