Vested Interests
When it comes to business and fashion, Liyann Seet knows just how to make the right investments
o call liyann seet a woman of many talents almost seems like an understatement. The 27-yearold is a Jill of all trades, with her finger in every pie when it comes to her interests, from business to fashion, and even fitness. While she works as a real estate developer, Liyann is also an avid investor and a proud owner of an impressive stock portfolio—no easy feat at any age, let alone one as young as she is. She picked up an interest at age 16, before starting to invest proper when she joined the Student Managed Investment Fund at the Singapore Management University. She was soon profiled in the local press at age 22 for her savvy financial planning. Unsurprisingly, this approach to business also impacts her fashion choices. She looks at her shopping purchases as mini investments and ensures that her buys have longevity or a potential return on investment. “I don’t like to follow trends, and I’m quite traditional in a sense that I prefer to buy classic items,” she tells us. So, what is one fashion item that she thinks every woman should invest in? “A Chanel or an Hermès bag. Not only are the designs timeless, the value of these pieces could appreciate over time.” Liyann boasts a chic and feminine style, and is frequently spotted in ladylike dresses and heels, complemented with perfectly curled locks and expertly applied make-up—skills she picked up from her beauty pageant and modelling days, another industry she found success in. She won the Miss Asia Pacific Petite World 2013 title in the US, making her the pageant’s first-ever Singaporean contestant. “My friends sometimes make fun of me and ask if I ever leave the house without make-up. Only when I’m headed to the gym! But I do try to look put-together at all times. I’d never be caught dead leaving the house in my pyjamas!” she quips. But this beauty queen is no delicate damsel. In her spare time, she frequents Muay Thai training camps and leads cardio boxing classes at Ground Zero, a boutique cardio boxing and indoor cycling studio. She is also an avid philanthropist and founded the International Children Foundation, a non-profit organisation that advocates equal educational opportunities for underprivileged children. Given her exhaustive list of accomplishments, is there anything left for Liyann to do? “I do have a bucket list, but it’s almost done! I always set out to complete whatever I’ve planned for myself. But it’s a dream of mine to one day collaborate with some friends on a fashion capsule collection.” Judging from her laser focus, determination and impressive style chops, we have no doubt that she will have no problems achieving this dream.