Men With Style: Ryan Foo, Co-Founder of DrinkAid
The 29-year-old entrepreneur is as stylish as he is business-minded.
By Gracia Phang - published
Trained as a lawyer, Ryan Foo’s decision to become an entrepreneur and start DrinkAid, a homegrown alcohol wellness brand, was an easy one. He believes that law school afforded him plenty of soft skills, such as critical thinking and being familiar with contract law, which are relevant in business and enabled his brand to achieve the success it has today; and he has plans for expansion. While he’d love to have a game of tennis with Roger Federer, Foo has great admiration for Singapore’s late founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, and would love to hear his views on developments like artificial intelligence and mRNA vaccines.
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“Over the top’ is what my parents think of my style—they always complain about how my outfit choices are the most impractical. I have a weakness for outerwear as I believe it can elevate even the most basic of fits, and my vice is ready-to-wear pieces.”
“Roger Federer has been my idol ever since I was a child. His presence on and off court is full of poise and equanimity, which is rare to see among tennis players even today. I believe that he is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, and we’ll probably never see another player like him again. At one point, I was such a major fanboy that I felt we shared a special connection because we shared the same initials.”
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“I’m a huge fan of Balenciaga’s menswear spring/summer 2017 collection. When Demna enlisted Martine Rose to work with him on his first menswear line for the brand, it quickly showed up on everyone’s radar. I also bought a bomber jacket from that collection, and it was my first major purchase with my first paycheque—it holds special significance.”
“A favourite designer is Glenn Martens. He steered both Y/Project and Diesel from relative obscurity to major successes, and I feel that not many designers possess both the creative vision and business acumen to do that; I have immense respect for him.”
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“When it comes to marketing and branding, I’m obsessed and become the biggest nerd. I geek out often on LinkedIn, where I post quite frequently about DrinkAid. Not many know this, but I actually have a small online community
where I share learnings about marketing, branding and business in general.”