Dato’ Seri Farah Khan to Han Chong: Malaysians who made into the BoF 500 list

In a staggering list of 500 influential captains in the global fashion scene, five Malaysian individuals find themselves charting in the definitive index. Read on to discover the five honoured in the BoF 500.

To make it onto a list of the top 500 individuals within an industry is huge, and even more so in the fashion world, where competition comes from all direction and consumers are ever hungry for what is next in fashion. To discover and spotlight the creme of the crop, Business of Fashion, or BoF, take it upon themselves to sift through hundreds of nominations made from existing BoF 500 members — including leveraging on-ground intelligence from all over the globe.

How do they know who makes the cut? For this, BoF has an established set of requirements when looking at a candidate. While many can be nominated, only a few make it onto the prestigious list, and this ultimately comes to their leadership, creativity, innovation, and impact on the industry.

Now that we know what it takes to make it onto the BoF 500, let’s get to know the Malaysians that did.

Dato’ Seri Farah Khan

First up is Dato’ Seri Farah Khan, who brought the luxury fashion world into Malaysia. She has been a member of BoF 500 since 2015, and has continously been doing the country proud through her passion for this industry.

As a founder and president of The Melium Group, she has been tirelessly bringing in over 100 international luxury and lifestyle brands such as Roger Vivier, Max Mara, and many more. Most recently, she has also made her foray into the world of streetwear. She is also the creative director of her eponymous fashion line, Farah Khan.

Han Chong

Otherwise known as Mr Self Portrait, Han Chong joined the BoF 500 in 2017. The designer behind the contemporary luxury label Self Portrait, he has found enormous commercial success through the feminine creations under his line. Since its launch in 2013, the brand has remained in the internet’s favour for its accessible pricing.

Born in Penang, Chong took to Central Saint Martins to study womenswear. Fast-forward to 2013, Self Portrait entered the picture, and by 2014, Chong secured his first major stockist: Selfridges. Soon, his line popped up in other luxury online retailers such as Matches Fashion and Net-a-Porter.

Vivy Yusof

The newest entrant to the esteemed BoF 500, Datin Vivy Yusof requires no introduction. Noted as one of the most influential voices in the modest fashion world, the blogger-turned-entrepreneur is the co-founder and creative director of FV Group — the company behind local brands Lilit and dUCk.

Her first foray into the local fashion industry saw her bringing over 400 brands in both modest and mainstream fashion industries across Southeast Asia via FashionValet.com (now defunct). Today, her focus is to grow her two brands into global household names.

Tracy Sun

Born in Kuala Lumpur and raised in New York, Tracy Sun’s path into the industry was not a straight one. With a degree in biology and psychology from Colombia University, she once thought her future was in neuropsychology. However, she found herself helming a Silicon Valley startup and soon turned it into a growing community marketplace for all things fashion with a resounding 4 million users — Poshmark.

Recognised as one of the biggest proponents of women in tech, Tracy entered the list in 2017.

Zhong Lin

This year, BoF 500 also sees Zhong Lin charting the list. A renowned fashion photographer, she has been the muse of multiple international magazine editors, celebrities, and fashion and beauty brands. Her astounding (and sometimes unsettling) work has appeared in publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, I-D, L’Officiel, and many more. Brands such as Nike and SK-II are also known to use her imaging prowess in their campaigns.

A student of advertising, Zhong Lin started gaining traction online through her series, Project365, where she posted a photo every day on Instagram.

Featured image credit: Vivy Yusof/Instagram; Hero image credit: Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week.

This story first appeared on Prestige Online Malaysia

The post Dato’ Seri Farah Khan to Han Chong: Malaysians who made into the BoF 500 list appeared first on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur.