5 Small Ways to Help Out During COVID-19
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March 17 2020
We know it's a terrifying time right now, and it's easy to feel helpless with the uncertainty and fear surrounding this public health crisis. But in R2R and Things That Matter, one thing that is deeply embedded in our way of life is doing something, no matter how tiny that contribution is. We believe in the power of small steps.
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Our Impact Updates: Part 2
June 6 2020
Here are Our Impact Updates as of June 4, 2020, in numbers. These are the small steps that we at R2R have been taking so we could all come out of this COVID-19 lockdown stronger, kinder, and more compassionate as a community.
Our Impact Updates: Part 1
April 21 2020
Here are Our Impact Updates as of April 21, 2020, in numbers. These are the small steps that we at R2R have been taking so we could all come out of this COVID-19 lockdown stronger, kinder, and more compassionate as a community.
Weaving Through This Time Together
March 14 2020
A letter from the president of Rags2Riches & founder of Things That Matter, Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, on how we can weave through this tough time together. As a business that aims to create positive impact in our communities, R2R's top priority is to take care of the health of our team, artisans, and advocates. And at the same time, we also take the responsibility of "staying in business" very seriously.
R2R and Things That Matter: 2019 Positive Impact Review
January 10 2020
We want to start the year by thanking you all for an amazing 2019. We couldn't have done it without all of you who showed love on our socials & even in person, attended our events and pop-ups, shared the advocacy and culture to others, and, of course, supported our artisans and communities by purchasing our pieces. Thank you so much!
Introducing The Starting Point Journal
August 15 2019
Your starting point can happen anytime. It’s when you decide to show up for your dreams and be intentional in how you approach them. You don’t need to wait for a monumental event to start. It can happen on an ordinary day, at the moment you decide to pause and listen. It grows when you learn to give, when you find the intersections between what you care about and what others need.
5 Ways to Use Your R2R Rug
July 10 2019
The sky's the limit with R2R's versatile rugs that are handwoven with a lot of love and care by their community artisans. Learn five different ways to use them in your own home.
She Dares To: A Conversation with Jana Bunagan
April 9 2019
Jana of The Good Trade is one of the three advocate-ambassadors of R2R's Summer 2019 Collection, Hardin. We had a conversation with her on the lessons she learned while putting up the biggest sustainable lifestyle fair in Metro Manila, her life's why, and more.
A Guide to Ukay-ukay Shopping in the Philippines
March 4 2019
When it comes to making sustainable fashion choices, it isn’t always easy when you’re surrounded by fast fashion brands everywhere you go, which is why we've created this little guide to thrifting in the Philippines.
Is There Such a Thing as Sustainable Living in the World We Live in Today?
February 23 2019
Trying to do good may seem easy from the outside but it is a lot more complicated now than ever before. There are a lot of hard questions and we try to answer them to find out if sustainable living is even possible in the world we live in today.
Our Partner Stories: WVN Home Textiles feat. Kylie Misa and Yvette Gaston
February 15 2019
This Our Partner Stories features WVN Home Textiles, a social enterprise with Filipino weaves at the heart of their ideas. Kylie and Yvette, its founders, talk about how they hustled with both WVN and their full-time jobs, their plans 10 years from now, and the sustainable practices they are trying to maintain.
Life Stories La Union 2018: Sun, Surf, and Sustainability
February 7 2019
How do we live with more compassion and intention? How can we incorporate sustainability into our work and in our relationships? In Life Stories La Union 2018: Sun, Surf, and Sustainability last June 29 to July 1, 2018, we gathered a tribe of like-minded people who wanted answers to these questions and to travel deeper.
A Zero Waste Living Starter Guide
January 13 2019
To help you in your journey to a lifestyle that’s kinder and more thoughtful for the planet, we created this Zero Waste Living Starter Guide that includes 5 tips, along with recommendations of long-lasting and artisan-made products, to make your shift to zero or minimal waste journey much easier.
to paint / to weave: an Art Collaboration by Thao Nguyen Phan and R2R
January 8 2019
"to paint / to weave" is a series of watercolor painting on Vietnamese silk by artist Thao Nguyen Phan in collaboration with Rags2Riches (R2R) and its artisans. The paintings depict the scenario of women weaving in various forms, the action is removed from its original setting and has become romanticized and idealized in a timeless, non-specific environment.
R2R and Things That Matter: 2018 Positive Impact Review
January 7 2019
We at R2R and Things That Matter are intentional about creating an integrated, opportunity-providing social enterprise from the very beginning. For 2018, these are the goals and numbers we reached thanks to our amazing community of advocates and partners who are with us as we work towards a more inclusive and compassionate world .
Bayo x Rags2Riches: Gifts with Purchase
December 21 2018
We are so excited to share this partnership with one of the Filipino fashion brands we admire; Bayo! They are pioneering a sustainable fashion initiative in the country and R2R is one of the first brands they are collaborating with.
Our Partner Stories: Where To Next feat. Ayen Dela Torre
December 20 2018
The first of Our Partner Stories features Where To Next, a community of creatives with a passion for adventure and storytelling, and its co-founder, Ayen Dela Torre. Learn about how they began, their big dreams for 2019, and what it means to live and travel with purpose.
Gifts That Matter: An R2R Holiday Gift Guide 2018
November 26 2018
All the R2R pieces on this gift guide are made with more in mind. They won't just give joy to the recipient of the present; they also give a lot of joy to the artisan communities who made them. This is why they matter on this season of giving.
Who Made Your Bags? Meet the Community Artisans of R2R
April 25 2018
To celebrate Fashion Revolution Week 2018 (April 23 to 29), we're introducing to you three inspiring individuals and positive change makers that have been at the core of your favorite R2R products. They are the leaders and coordinators of some of the R2R communities who create the very soul of all your favorite R2R products, the signature R2R weave.
She Dares To: A Conversation with Lynn Pinugu
March 15 2018
"I was a former university scholar and I sincerely believe that all the opportunities I have had access to in life would not have been possible without the help of the people who helped send me to school, and invested in my potential. This experience is what compelled me to help put up Mano Amiga Philippines nine years ago."
She Dares To: A Conversation with Chely Esguerra
February 28 2018
"I find that my choices are underpinned by these drivers: first is to leave this world better than when I have found it and two, to have the people around me recognize or remember that life is a gift."
Gifts That Matter: Holiday Gift Guide 2017
December 1 2017
We believe that gift-giving should be done with mindfulness and intention, like all other things we do for the people who matter. It’s so much better if the presents we purchase are made with a meaningful story, are functional for everyday use, and give joy to more than just the recipient.
This is why we have Gifts That Matter, our recommendations of gifts that are locally crafted, artisan-made, and story-filled. What else could be better kinds of presents on this season of giving?
This is why we have Gifts That Matter, our recommendations of gifts that are locally crafted, artisan-made, and story-filled. What else could be better kinds of presents on this season of giving?
Things That Matter is Launching on November 2017
October 8 2017
Things That Matter is a joyful marketplace that creates positive impact and inspires an intentional lifestyle. But it is more than just a one-stop shop for all beautiful and meaningful products. It is also a community of advocates who are creating a better world, one intentional decision at a time.
On Being a Versionary: Riki Flores-Reyes
April 29 2017
Riki Flores-Reyes is one of the women for the Versions Collection. She is a radio DJ, TV presenter, friend, daughter, sister, wife, and mother. Read all about her different hats, her passions and principles, and why she is an R2R advocate.
Made in the Philippines: Classic, Sustainable Dresses by Linea Etnika
April 8 2017
Although sustainable fashion is still young in the Philippines, there are now so many small businesses starting out with this vision of doing fashion responsibly and sustainably. One of the up and coming small businesses in the pursuit of slow fashion is Linea Etnika.
The Story of the Versions Collection
April 6 2017
Our S/S 2017 collection, Versions, embraces the beautiful complexity of the R2R Woman and adapts to the multiple transformations she makes every day while still weaving together the values she carries. Each piece in this collection transforms into two completely different personas, adapting to the different versions of the R2R Woman.
The 3 Joyful Couples of Rags2Riches
February 14 2017
We sat down with three joyfully married couples of R2R––Ate Nhing & Kuya Jhune, Ate Sugar & Kuya Yam, and Reese & Mark––and asked them to share their love story this Valentine's Day.
Made in the Philippines: Premium Local Teas by Tsaa Laya
December 27 2016
Tsaa Laya is a social enterprise that employs the women of Calauan to grow local herbs, fruits, and spices and make tea out of them, promoting Philippine plants as modern tea ingredients in the process.
Made in the Philippines: Embroidered T’boli Espadrilles by Zarah Juan
November 29 2016
Zarah Juan is an independent bag maker with an eponymous brand who partners with local artisans, weavers, and suppliers to create pieces that are a testament to the Filipino journey.
R2R Launches the Medina Collection for F/H 2016
September 23 2016
Rags2Riches, a fashion and design house empowering community artisans from the Philippines, is expanding its line of classic, functional, and artisanal bags by launching its Fall/Holiday 2016 Collection, the Medina on the 20th of September at South Court, Power Plant Mall.
Our 3 Collections Woven with Philippine Indigenous Textiles
August 14 2016
Most R2R advocates are familiar with the artisans behind the signature R2R weave that make up most of our pieces. But there is a group of weavers that we also love working and weaving joyful stories with. These are the talented indigenous communities around the Philippines.
R2R Living Turns 2
July 10 2016
Since the launch of R2R Living two years ago, we've been working hard to bring stylish, artisanal, and sustainable home accents to our growing number of R2R advocates who value green design for your homes. And in those two years, we’ve achieved some milestones that we would like to share and celebrate with you.
Recap: MYO Workshop and Open House Last June 25-26
July 3 2016
It’s the first time we’ve let our advocates have a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in our workshop and have them actually participate in the bag-making process with our workshop artisans. Here are the highlights of what our advocates experienced during the exclusive workshop and open house.
The 5 Filipino Designers of R2R
June 26 2016
A big part of what we do in R2R is transformation. It’s in our name itself, Rags2Riches. From starting with rugs or floor mats used in many Filipino homes to making meaningful bags and home accents, we’ve come a long way. Much of this should be credited to the designers who provided a vision that propelled our artisans’ talent for weaving into a brand beloved by our advocates.
How to Fall in Love with Metro Manila: 5 Must-See Places to Visit
June 10 2016
There are so many things to love about Metro Manila and we don't even have to look that hard to see it. We’ve curated this list for both tourists visiting Metro Manila for the first time or for those living in the city for so long but are looking for reasons to fall in love with it again.
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