I first encountered Rags2Riches (RIIR) in 2008 at an event
of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) where they were awarded
the top prize in the Philippine
Business in Development (BiD) Challenge organized by PBSP and the Dutch BiD
Network Foundation. I remember marveling
at their venture that transforms scrap cloth into designer products and at that
time, they were working on woven bags with established designer Rajo Laurel and
giving livelihood opportunities for the women of Payatas. Since then I have been following this social
enterprise and their collections from RIIR’s collaboration with Rajo Laurel to
Amina Aranaz and Oliver Tolentino.
The new collection
This year, RIIR launched their
Spring/Summer collection at The Gallery of Greenbelt 5 with two things in mind:
to give the spotlight to their in-house designers and to give tribute to a
special material indigenous to the Philippines. “Newel,” the latest S/S collection of RIIR,
was inspired by the intricate and unique weaves of the Tinalak of the T’boli
tribe of Mindanao (Newel means “weave” in
T’boli).
According to Vivian Lee,
Operations Director of Rags2Riches, “Our design inspiration is tribal chic and
with Tinalak, we wanted to promote the woven materials of the T’boli
community. We had some of the colors
customized to give the designs a modern twist.”
“RIIR has always been about
empowering communities and we wanted to expand our reach to different
communities in the Philippines,”
said Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, President of Rags2Riches. “The weave production
takes about 2-3 months but we were lucky because we were able to partner with
another social enterprise who is a supplier of Tinalak so they will be able to
deliver more quantity and at the same time, have a unique aspect in its (weave)
designs.”
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| The Newel collection as prepared backstage for the launch |
The Newel collection, named in
T’boli words, has six styles to offer – three totes and three clutches -- in
vibrant colors to suit moods and occasions: the Hedem Hobo Bag (The Thinking Woman), the Ofi Clutch (Fire), the Kena
Tote Bag (Dream), the Kulon Clutch
(Rain), the Kenmu Clutch (Fist), and
the Benwu Tote Bag (World). Every creation is sure to catch the eye with
its versatility and ingenious patterns.
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| Kulon clutch |
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| Ofi clutch |
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| Kenmu clutch |
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| Hedem hobo bag |
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| Kena tote bag |
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| Benwu tote bag |
The Rags2Riches woman
All designs were made as
colorful and distinct to fit the style of the modern, fashion-forward women of
today.
“RIIR’s Spring/Summer
collection is a stylish innovation.
Utilizing the Tinalak, an indigenous weaving technique that is inspired
by dreams, myths and beliefs, RIIR’s newest collection is dedicated to the RIIR
women who are women with substance and unique style,” shared Joe Mark Pardiñas,
Sales and Marketing Manager of Rags2Riches.
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(l-r) RIIR president Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, me, and
RIIR operations director Vivian Lee |
Triple firsts
Aside from being RIIR’s first
venture to fully incorporate an indigenous material in their collection, this
is also the first line of bags solely designed by RIIR’s in-house designers.
Ruiz explained, “This is the
first design collaboration of RIIR’s in-house designers under the design
direction of Rajo Laurel. We felt it was
high time to create something to showcase and highlight the talents of our
in-house designers.”
Another first is, coinciding
with the launch of its Spring/Summer collection, RIIR also unveiled its first
style advocate, Bianca Gonzalez. A
well-known celebrity and fashion icon, Bianca is a woman that personifies the
RIIR women: empowered, passionate, and compassionate.
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| RIIR's Style Advocate |
“We believe that Bianca
Gonzalez is the epitome of a RIIR woman, someone who personifies the values
that we uphold and seek to promote with every unique RIIR creation,” Pardiñas
added.
The style advocate
Bianca Gonzalez is happy to be
RIIR’s style advocate because, “Rags2Riches is revolutionary and the reason why
I bought my RIIR bags was when I heard about the advocacy behind it, helping
the nanays of Payatas, plus it was collaboration with friends Rajo and Amina. More than being an ambassador or endorser, a
style advocate is not just a face to represent the brand but actually believes
in the products and uses them.”
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| Celebrity Bianca Gonzalez |
When asked what she thinks made
RIIR chose her as style advocate, Bianca quips, “My passion for advocacy. I’m not really a ‘fashionista.’ I read trends
in magazines but I prefer the casual and classic look and I wear whatever I
feel is comfortable. I’m not one to pile on accessories because I like just one
focal point in an outfit so I like the RIIR bags – simple yet unique and
attractive enough to be my one and only accessory.”
And her personal favorite from
the Newel collection is, ”The Ofi clutch because I prefer small bags. My bag
here (points to the large gray Benwu
tote beside her during the interview) is an exception because I need a big bag
when I’m working.”
About Rags2Riches
Rags2Riches Inc. is a
for-profit social enterprise based in Manila, Philippines, creating eco-ethical
fashion and home accessories out of up cycled scrap cloth, organic materials
and indigenous fabrics by working with artisans (mostly women) living in the
poor communities across the country.
Rags2Riches’ philosophy stands upon its four bottom lines: People,
Profit, Planet and Positive Influence.
For more information, visit www.rags2riches.ph.
