MLTV Season 4 ends from Rags to Riches
On last Saturday’s episode of Modern Living TV Season 4 (MLTV), host Bianca Gonzalez-Intal sat down with Ms. Reese Fernandez Ruiz, president and co-founder of Rags2Riches, to talk about the brand that marries fashion and charity.
Rags2Riches, a fashion line that has been making a statement since its inception, is not merely a social status but also a declaration of empowerment that encompasses the uplifting of ordinary Filipino artisans from poverty. From a mission that humbly began in Payatas back in 2007, the fashion label has continuously expanded its social impact as well as their eco-ethical footprints in the country.
In 6 years, Rags2Riches has trained over 900 artisans across Metro Manila. Thru their artisanal products and their inspiring story, Rags2Riches is a brand that has been echoed in almost all corners of the globe. Here’s a peek at the exclusive interview hosted by MLTV’s very own Bianca.
Bianca: When you were starting out, the primary message that was being pushed was that you wanted to help Filipino artisans and communities, but now you’ve leveled up. You want to position Rags2Riches (R2R) as a world-class Filipino brand, please tell us more about this.
Reese: Yes, because the essence of R2R will always be about an inclusive supply chain, including artisans, that will always be our “why,” but at the same time, I think it gives due respect and recognition to the work of the artisans if you also focus on how beautiful their products are. Imagine when their products are being praised for their beauty, I think it reflects on the artist; it gives them so much happiness and pride when the products are being appreciated and bought not because “I want to help you” but because “You’re so amazing.” And I believe that you can merge story and sustainability together in a seamless way so that you can have a lifestyle that is supportive of other people while making you beautiful at the same time.
What’s the biggest challenge of making a social enterprise appealing, especially in your case, your main product is a fashionable handbag?
When we were starting, maintaining quality was a real challenge because even though our artisans are brilliant, they didn’t have enough exposure to the market. They didn’t have ample knowledge of what quality was expected, so we had to bridge the communication and information gaps. Also at the early stages, it was very important to us to have a lot of amazing partners. We were able to secure a partnership with Rajo Laurel when we were practically nothing, and during that time he decided to give us his creative vision so that we could come up with remarkable products, and from then on, a lot of other designers started helping us.
Penetrating the local market was one giant hurdle already, but when you got over that, how did you get into the international market?
It was a very exciting and challenging process because we had to go through people who knew people, it was not very straightforward; I must have sent thousands of emails to buyers, but if you don’t land on the right inbox, it would be really hard to get noticed. It was a lot of reaching out to people all over the world. It’s always good to tell your story in different ways to different people because eventually, it will land on the right ear.
Being in a competition with bags from the UK and US, how do you keep your quality on a par with the standards of other global brands?
I think we have “it” in us. To begin with, I think we are really, really good, but then a lot of things could discourage us. There were a lot of people who asked us, “Why do you even try? Wala naman kayong pupuntahan.” But I think when we constantly reinforce to ourselves and our people that we are good and capable, that our products are worth it, and relentlessly show them how to preserve that high quality while also continuously talking to the market — and let the market talk to our artisans — then everyone in the team will get that much-needed boost and all the recognition and encouragement. It really helps to have an open communication between the artisans and the market.
Rags2Riches is a melting pot of creative minds from around the globe and a for-profit social enterprise that is both eco-friendly and socially responsible, truly a worthwhile cause and support-worthy. Each R2R product becomes a masterpiece that is made by the most talented artisanal hands from all over the country. But what they hold most important is that they are a life and livelihood partners to their artisans, as they create better futures for their families and communities.
To see the full interview, hover your phone or tablet that has The Philippine STAR app on the Live It! icon and wait for the video to load.
Catch the latest episodes of Modern Living TV Season 4 every Saturday, 6 p.m. on ANC with replays on Sundays at 10 a.m.