MANILA, PHILIPPINES– Rags2Riches (R2R), the largest social enterprise in the Philippines, will be expanding for the first time to North America with an online shop operated in partnership with Canadian ethical retailer, Cambio & Co. R2R is a 13-year old fashion and design house that partners with local artisans across the Philippines to create eco-ethical fashion and home accessories out of upcycled and overstock fabrics.
North American customers will have the opportunity to shop R2R’s bestselling eco-friendly and ethically-sourced bags, their new lounge-to-leisure clothing line, and other upcoming exclusive collections. All products will ship locally from Canada and the US for shorter delivery times and more accessible shipping fees.
“For the past 13 years, we have been weaving joyful stories in the Philippines. While we have a lot of advocates from all around the world, this will be our first time ever to open our own online store in another part of the world!” says Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, President and Founding Partner of R2R. “Building this online store would allow us to continue creating livelihood opportunities for artisans from the Philippines while making things that matter to our advocates from North America.”
“I am so grateful that I belong in this family (R2R), who gives me an opportunity to learn,” says Cynthia Cabrera, a long-time R2R artisan.“Thank you so much to our partners and advocates. So excited to know our advocates from North America!”
The online shop will launch on October 1st, 2020 to celebrate Filipino-American History month and to further R2R’s goal of connecting the global Filipino diaspora to local artisans across the Philippines – and ultimately, their heritage, culture, and roots. The Philippines has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and R2R’s expansion is an intentional move to bring the Filipino diaspora closer to the issues in the homeland while also supporting the livelihood of artisan communities.
The launch is in partnership with Cambio & Co., an ethical retailer specializing in contemporary, conscious fashion made by talented Filipino artisans.
“We want to build bridges between the Filipino diaspora and the homeland, and this partnership does exactly that,” says Gelaine Santiago, Co-founder of Cambio & Co. “By fostering a direct connection between consumers in North America and Rags2Riches, we also fulfill our bigger mission to amplify social enterprises in the Philippines and grow their impact around the world.”
To learn more and to stay up to date with R2R’s expansion, visit their website.
