Renyung Ho | 31 | Co-founder of Matter and assistant vice-president/director of spa and gallery at Banyan Tree Group.
Renyung Ho | 31 | Co-founder of Matter and assistant vice-president/director of spa and gallery at Banyan Tree Group.
Renyung Ho chooses to make nostalgia her business. The co-founder and managing director of apparel brand Matter delves deep into traditions and age-old practices of yester year to produce timeless clothing that juxtaposes the old with the new, and that is not just trendy but carries with it a socially conscious motif.
Disenchanted by the phenomenon of instant gratification and mass produced goods, millennials are now drawn to ideals and beliefs that stand for a cause, explains Ho. At the end of the day, the key is to create a sense of timelessness.
“As humans, we tend to lean towards things that have stood the test of time. And things that last are both timeless and timely now,” she adds.
For Ho, not having to plan for days off is much more liberating than actually having them. “My week is structured in a certain way but I’m always open to opportunities. Ideas can come to you anytime and at any place – there’s no defined formula so I prefer to listen to myself and work accordingly.”
She adds that the line between work and life has become much less distinct. “I think freedom and autonomy is what millennials are looking for. They seek the time and space to just be.”
According to her, taking sabbaticals and embarking on gap years in between major life stages have become fundamental in enabling people to recalibrate and realign their interests. Rather than save up for a long-term retirement in their twilight years, she sees her peers planning mini-breaks across their careers.
“The idea of working till you’re 50 before taking a long break or retiring no longer applies to this generation. No one knows what the future holds so we want to experience life in all its beauty now and not postpone it,” she says.
