Vivy Yusof, the Malaysian founder of Duck, wants to take her modest fashion brand global

“Vivy Yusof started blogging about random things, and a decade later, has a fashion empire,” reads the first line of the Malaysian businesswoman’s best-selling, self-authored book, The First Decade: My Journey from Blogger to Entrepreneur.

It’s a line that succinctly encapsulates Vivy’s entrepreneurial journey. Before stepping into the business world, Vivy had already developed a sizable following through her online blog, which she started to chronicle her life as a law student in London. Then in 2010, while stuck in traffic back in Kuala Lumpur with her then-boyfriend- now-husband, Fadza Anuar, the pair came up with the idea of starting an e-commerce platform for local brands. They were driving around from shop to shop one day while trying to find a top that Vivy wanted, causing Fadza to lament, “Why can’t all these shops be in one place?”

That thought planted the seeds for FashionValet, a curated e-commerce platform retailing stylish yet modest fashion designed by Malaysian local brands. Vivy and Fadza spent the next decade growing FashionValet into a major regional player. But in 2022, amid rising competition and other business challenges, the pair shut down the platform, pivoting instead to focus on their own in-house brands, Duck and Lilit. The brands are now housed under the FVGroup umbrella, with Vivy as creative director and Fadza as CEO.

Duck, a premium modest fashion and lifestyle brand known for its immensely popular headscarves, was launched in 2014, and has grown to become a household name in Malaysia. In Singapore, it is a popular brand among Malay/Muslim women. Lilit, on the other hand, was launched in 2019 to offer more affordable, minimalist modest fashion options. It is also a size inclusive brand.

Vivy, who is described as “one of the modest fashion industry’s most influential voices in Southeast Asia” by online publication Business of Fashion, now wants to turn her brands into global names. “The vision for Duck is to become a leading premium modest fashion brand globally, since there isn’t one currently,” she shared. “It goes beyond fashion. It could be cosmetics, gaming, entertainment, spas and even hotels. These are big dreams. Duck is already so well-loved by our community but I believe this is only just the beginning.”

THE DUCK STORY

I met with Vivy one afternoon at Duck’s boutique in Singapore’s Haji Lane. In person, Vivy is cheerful and warm, her answers punctured with humour. Her celebrity status is evident from the get-go – as Vivy posed for photos for this story, I spot several fans peeking into the boutique, snapping away on their phones. Customers who walk into the store immediately recognise her, expressing their happiness at meeting her in person. Later on, after we had wrapped up our conversation, several people asked for photos with Vivy, and she happily obliged.   

In a way, Vivy manifested her career path as a young girl. She spent her childhood “role playing by myself, as my sister was seven years older”. “For one of my birthdays, the gift I wanted the most was an electric toy cashier as one of my dreams was to become a shopkeeper,” she laughed.

Her entrepreneurial streak was also evident. In primary school, Vivy, whose father is a businessman in the construction industry, sold friendship bands to her friends. Later on when she was studying law at the London School of Economics, she started a scrapbooking business. London was also where she met Fadza, who was studying aeronautical engineering at the Imperial College of London.

The idea to start Duck – the brand’s name is inspired by Vivy’s now defunct blog ProudDuck – came about when Vivy started wearing the hijab after having her first child. “Wearing the hijab is such a big change in a girl’s life. You cover your hair and suddenly you are more conscious about the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you dress. Why isn’t there a brand that celebrates this milestone?” the mum of four reflected.

Vivy’s own experience while shopping for scarves “didn’t feel special at all”. “When girls buy a scarf from a shop, they simply put it into a plastic bag. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but there was a gap in the market for a more premium experience,” she said.  

Vivy drew inspiration from the experience of shopping at luxury brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Dior. In particular, Duck’s purple box packaging is inspired by the orange box of Hermes. “The buying experience at Duck is like buying a present for yourself. Our purple box is very distinct. It’s great for gifting as well. When you have something that is well-packaged, people don’t mind paying a premium. They know that they are buying a quality product from a brand that really cares about details,” said Vivy.

Duck became a hit immediately from the brand’s launch in 2014. It retails a range of scarves from premium basics in different materials, to scarves in Duck’s signature monogram and limited-edition prints. Till today, its limited editions sell out almost instantaneously once they're launched. Prices range from around S$43 for a premium basic scarf, to S$98 for a monogram print and S$115 for a limited-edition print. Its product range has also expanded to include bags, apparel, home furnishings and scents, fitness accessories and more. Duck has also gone on to collaborate with big names such as Barbie, Disney, Starbucks and more.

To enhance the shopping experience, the company opened a Duck Cafe at its flagship KL store in Bangsar Village. From now till October, the brand is hosting a pop-up Duck Cafe in Singapore in collaboration with Muslim-owned cafe, Mondays. It is Vivy’s way of testing the market and evaluating “if a Duck cafe can work in Singapore”.

Vivy attributes the success of Duck to its unique positioning. “We came at the right time, and we hit the right spot. Before we started, there were mass market brands and there were luxury brands. We appeal to a more affluent clientele, who want more than something super affordable, yet cannot afford to buy luxury every single day,” she explained.

While Duck is a more premium brand, Vivy added that the overall vision for the FVGroup is to have “many different brands that serve different purposes”. In this line, Lilit was launched to offer basic, go-to staples catered to a modest lifestyle. “It is the foundation pieces that you need, whether it’s a simple hijab or a tunic top,” said Vivy. The brand’s bestsellers include items from its activewear and swimwear line. “People shop at Lilit more for function. What I love the most about the brand is its body positivity. We have a huge range of sizes from XXS to 5XL, which is bigger even than Zara, H&M and other mainstream brands. That’s the message that we want to put forth.”

GLOBAL AMBITIONS

Having established her brands in Malaysia and Singapore, Vivy now has a new goal – to go global. Market conditions bode well for Vivy. According to a report by DinarStandard, Muslim spend on fashion is on the rise, achieving a 6.1 per cent four-year compound annual growth rate from 2021, projected to reach US$375 billion (S$511 billion) by 2025.

Yet Vivy is the first to admit that the path ahead for Duck won’t be an easy one. “What works in one market may not work in another. It is an extremely difficult journey, but one that is also extremely humbling, to learn about a new culture, new laws, new ways of shopping and new ways of thinking. We have to learn all these so we don’t make any expensive mistakes,” she acknowledged.

The goal is to further expand Duck’s presence in Southeast Asia, and also penetrate the European market. “I am very familiar with the UK because of my own experience living and studying there. They also have a big Malaysian community, so we have a ready pool of customers,” shared Vivy. Her biggest target market, however, is the Middle East. “But I have to figure out a way to localise to their taste,” she reflected.

While modest fashion in the Muslim world typically refers to outfits that are less revealing and cover certain areas of the body, interpretations vary in different cultures. The definition of modest fashion is also “personal and subjective” to the individual, added Vivy. “It’s very difficult to define modest fashion. What we offer are clothes with loose silhouettes, with longer hemlines that are more covered. Less is more, and so far, that has worked well. We’re not trying to define modesty for anyone, we’re just offering what we think women might want.”

Vivy wants Duck to be a brand not just for women who wear the hijab. “We have customers who wear our tops with shorts, or our scarves as a top to the beach. It’s really up to individuals to style our products.”

When expanding into different markets, there are also design preferences and tastes that Duck needs to take into consideration. “In the UK, they don’t really wear a lot of prints. In Asia, they are more accepting of loud designs,” shared Vivy. “These are things we learn along the way. We might have to create a special line of products for different markets, which makes supply chain a bit more complicated.”

To better understand her customers all around the world, Vivy holds occasional in-person meet-ups during her travels. “As a founder and an entrepreneur, I’m always curious about my customers. I always want to get their feedback. What do they like and more importantly, what do they not like?”

She hopes to build a global community for Duck customers, while empowering the modest woman. “I want modest women to be in the spotlight. We are also career driven, we are also progressive, we are also modern. I want them to have the confidence to step out into the world.”

SOCIAL MEDIA’S DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

Duck’s popularity and success is largely attributed to Vivy’s social media following. As of now, she has 1.8 million followers on Instagram, 121,700 thousand followers on TikTok and 246,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Through her online platforms, Vivy herself has become her brand’s most effective advertiser. On Instagram, she showcases her outfits of the day, styled with Duck and Lilit products. But having such a public image on social media also opens her up to criticism.

One of the most challenging points in her entrepreneurship journey was the closure of FashionValet and dealing with the online backlash. At its peak, FashionValet sold over 400 brands from Southeast Asia. It also played an integral role in promoting Malaysian fashion domestically and internationally. However, reports indicated that the company was operating at a loss, facing growing competition from big multinationals such as Zalora. But for many of the niche brands the company worked with, FashionValet had been a major avenue for them to reach a wider audience, which was why it prompted a wave of criticism from the fashion community when it closed.

To an extent, Vivy expected the backlash. “Even then, it still hurt,” she admitted. “I live my life and my career publicly. Everybody makes mistakes, but everyone could see mine. Having people say you are a fraud or a one-hit wonder was humbling. But at the end of the day, it was for the health of the group. You don’t want to continue running a non-profitable business.”

For all the ways Vivy has benefited from social media, she accepts the cons that come with it. “There will always be people leaving you negative comments, trying to break your spirit or giving excuses for your achievements. It has become a norm in my life,” she said. “It is something I share with my kids as well, so they know [having a public image] is not a bed of roses. But at the end of the day, I put myself out there so I accept the consequences. If you have reaped the benefits [of social media], don’t cry about the negatives.”

MUM LIFE AND DEFINING SUCCESS

Having built her own brands, written a best-selling book and even starred in her own reality TV series (Love, Vivy) at one point, Vivy has seemingly done it all. Yet, as she wrote in her book, she “managed to squeeze in time to get married and give birth to not one, but four children”.

How does she juggle all her different roles? “I always say humans are amazing,” she laughed. “We don’t know how much we can handle until we have no choice. Even if you put six kids in front of me, I would probably complain, but I’ll find a way to make it work.”

Vivy also revels in the chaos. “I never thought I would have four kids but I’m having the best time in my life. At work and at home, it is just pure chaos, but I love it,” she smiled.

Being a mum has also made her a better multitasker at work. “You don’t have time to overthink or be overly upset over any situation. I need to make decisions fast because I have to go home to make dinner!” she continued with a laugh.  

Vivy’s advice for fellow entrepreneurs is to “be curious”. “I’m a lifelong learner. I always talk to people, I keep asking questions. I go to seminars and I read books. I keep wanting to learn because the world is changing so fast. If you don’t stay curious and if you don’t keep wanting to learn and adapt, you are going to fail,” she said.

Despite all that Duck has achieved, Vivy believes there is room for the brand to grow further. “We serve women, right? So whatever journey a woman undertakes, we have the potential to be a part of that. For example, if she’s a mother, we can dress her children with our Duckling line. If she enjoys going on holidays, we can have a travel line. There's so much that Duck can grow into and I'm all for experimenting and seeing what this brand can be.”

As our conversation came to a close, I asked Vivy for her definition of success. “I don’t believe in defining success,” she said. “Some may define success in terms of revenue numbers or hitting your business targets. But once you hit them, then what? Achieving your goals is a means to living a happy life, but it shouldn’t define you. If I had to define success, I would say it’s about living your best life.”

Does she feel like she’s living her best life? “Yes I do,” she quipped. “If what I’m doing now isn’t good enough for me, I would stop. But I love what I do. Even with the challenges and even with the naysayers, I feel like I’m thriving every day. There’s so much to achieve and so much to be done. At the same time, there’s so much to be grateful for and I’m just excited for the future.”