“I was too young to drape it on myself,” Liviyaa recalled with a laugh. “But I used to help drape sarees on my mum. That made me love sarees and traditional wear in general.”
What began as a playful childhood pastime has blossomed into Livsarees, a store in Kota Damansara here that helps women across the Klang Valley shine during Deepavali and beyond.
For the 29-year-old chemical-engineering graduate, each saree that leaves her shop carries more than fabric and thread: it holds a story of resilience, tradition, and light.
“I really wanted to do this because I had a passion for clothing, especially Indian traditional wear,” Liviyaa told FMT Lifestyle.
That passion has taken her from being a struggling university student to a young entrepreneur who now curates sarees for loyal return clients, even handpicking pieces to suit specific occasions.
Deepavali, in particular, brings her journey into sharper focus. “Every time customers come and say, ‘This is going to be my Deepavali attire’, it feels so special. They’ll be wearing my brand for Deepavali day, and I feel proud and happy.”
Behind the shelves of shimmering fabric is a story of grit: Livsarees began in 2016 out of necessity. Then a 20-year-old student at a private university, Liviyaa needed to pay her tuition fees.
Her sister suggested selling sarees online, and so she began with a simple Instagram store. “I started very small. I didn’t have any customers for the first few months. But I had to keep going as I needed to pay my education fees.”
With little capital and no team, Liviyaa handled everything on her own: sourcing, packing, replying to customers, even learning how to photograph garments herself. It was exhausting, but she didn’t quit.
“It was very difficult to manage my studies and my business but I’m glad that I got through it,” she added.
Then came the pandemic. Many would have closed shop, but Liviyaa saw an opening. At a time when people were shopping online from home, she doubled down on the sensory experience of fabric, turning a crisis into opportunity.
“I decided to open my physical store for customers to feel and experience the touch of a saree and its beauty,” she said.
Today, Livsarees offers more than sarees. Customers can choose from kurti sets and blouse tailoring to lehenga rentals, and even sarees turned into baju kurung.
Yet her guiding principle remains the same – quality first, affordability second. “The most important question from customers is, is it easy to drape? Secondly, it is the price. We ensure that the prices of our products are affordable.”
That balance of practicality and care reflects who Liviyaa is, not only as a businesswoman, but also as a daughter, wife and mother.
The fourth of five children, she knows the power of togetherness. Her husband is also her business partner, and they are raising their one-year-old while growing the store. It’s a family venture in every sense of the word.
When the season of light arrives, that sense of family shines brightest. For Liviyaa, Deepavali is not just about dressing customers in their festive best – it’s also about pausing to celebrate what truly matters.
“After all our busy schedules, we get together and celebrate Deepavali with our loved ones. That’s when it feels worth it,” she said.
And her ambitions stretch far beyond the festive season: she hopes to expand across Malaysia and, someday, to India.
Still, her biggest dream is more personal – it circles back to the woman who first taught her the beauty of a saree.
“I wish to give back to my mum. I wish to see her happy because she always wanted us to make her proud. She’s definitely proud of me – extremely proud. She always says that.”
Follow Livsarees on Instagram.
Livsarees
S-1-28, Emporis,
Persiaran Surian, Kota Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
For location, click here.
Opening hours: 11am-7pm
Contact: 016-664 1416