Ophelia Keung
Ophelia Keung (Mrs Keung) is CEO and Founder of Rhys. Mrs Keung has over 30 years of experience working in the garment industry. After retirement, Mrs Keung became the primary caretaker of her mother who was housed at an elderly home, the experience led her to realise that garments for the elderly often lack style and utility. She believes that age and body conditions should not limit one’s access to fashion and a sense of dignity. Her experience led to her founding of Rhys in 2017, a social enterprise that strives to create aesthetically pleasing garments for the elderly and for different bodies.
Rhys products are all produced locally in Hong Kong. Rhys also hopes to enhance the lives of grassroots families. To achieve this, Mrs Keung provides sewing training and equipment to women such that they are able to work from home and make an extra earning.
Kadri Keung
Kadri Keung is Creative Director of Rhys and graduated from the Institute of Textiles and Clothing at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a focus on Knitwear Design and Technology. Her background has led her to realise the superficiality of mainstream fashion and its failure to form connections with its users.
Keung was inspired by her experience witnessing her grandmother’s hospitalisation, which led to founding of Rhys with her family in 2017. The mission of Rhys is to combine design thinking with the individual needs of its users. The resulting work injects love and respect into accessible garment designs, allowing those marginalised in society to feel a sense of hope and dignity. In 2019, Rhys became recipient of the Grand Award to DFA Design for Asia Awards.
Image courtesy: Kadri Keung