The climate emergency is not a hypothetical, it is not something that is still going to happen. It is already here and we are feeling the effects. It has become even more vital and urgent for us to rethink our approach to fashion, business, and consumption.
At R2R, we have always been serious about creating positive impact in our own ways and expanding this impact throughout our communities and beyond. So in a way, we have always been cognisant of our impact on people and on the planet. We started because of our social mission of creating sustainable opportunities for artisans to get out of poverty while creating products that make use of non-biodegradable waste materials.
Since 2007, R2R has been a fashion and design house empowering community artisans from the Philippines. We were one of the pioneers in this field but in many ways, we are still beginners. While we have come a long way, there is still a long way to go.
The Climate Emergency and the Need for Circularity
The Philippines, an archipelago blessed with unparalleled natural beauty, is also grappling with the adverse effects of climate change. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and loss of biodiversity threaten not only our environment but also the livelihoods of countless Filipinos. The most vulnerable to the effects of climate emergency are also the most vulnerable Filipinos who are mostly in poverty.
One significant contributor to environmental degradation is the fast fashion industry, known for its wasteful practices and disregard for environmental impacts. The linear model of "take, make, dispose" is unsustainable and exacerbates the climate crisis. To address these challenges, we must transition to a circular economy where resources are conserved, products are designed for longevity, and waste is minimized.
Rags2Riches: Creating Opportunities Through Upcycling
As one of the pioneers in the Philippines' sustainable fashion landscape, we in R2R committed ourselves to our purpose: to provide meaningful livelihood opportunities to local artisans and to promote responsible consumerism through upcycled fashion. For more than a decade, we have created systems, products, and proofs-of-concept that businesses could try to mitigate the causes and effects of the climate emergency, while providing social empowerment and economic development.
Empowering Artisans
R2R's heart lies in its commitment to uplifting marginalized communities. By upcycling excess fabrics, scrap materials, and indigenous textiles, R2R transforms waste into stunning, handcrafted fashion pieces. These pieces are created by skilled artisans from various regions in the Philippines, each piece carrying with it a story of craftsmanship and resilience.
Through R2R's platform, artisans are provided with not just a job but a means to sustain themselves and their families. This approach, which values the talents and traditions of our Filipino artisans, contributes to poverty alleviation and community development. In empowering these individuals, Rags2Riches takes a substantial step towards addressing social inequality—a fundamental aspect of climate resilience.
Advocates in Action
Beyond providing livelihoods to artisans, R2R encourages consumers to become advocates for change. The choices we make as consumers have a direct impact on the environment. By purchasing R2R's upcycled products as well as the products of other social enterprises with similar hearts and missions,, we contribute to the reduction of textile waste, lower our carbon footprint, and support ethical practices.
R2R has created a community of advocates who understand that fashion can be a force for good. These advocates appreciate the value of circularity and the role they play in conserving resources. By choosing R2R products, they promote conscious consumption and inspire others to do the same.
A Path Towards a Sustainable Future
We don’t claim to have all the answers and all the solutions, in fact, we are a very small grassroots solution with a small impact footprint. We may just be a drop in the bucket, but that is one drop more than what the bucket had before. We still have a long way to go so one drop is still progress.
Drops have another nice feature though: the ripple effect.
Our one company that is founded because of a purpose and lives for a purpose, could create impact beyond our community. Through expanding our supply chain reach, we can reach more areas. Through engaging and collaborating with corporations, we can upcycle waste on larger scales and create more livelihood for artisans. Through creating intentionally designed products, we can show the potential of waste and hopefully make waste a thing of the past.
In the face of the huge existential threat of the climate emergency, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and disheartened. But for us in R2R, we appreciate our smallness, agility, deep collaborations with our artisans, and our ability to create intentional things from the ground up. We also appreciate our impact through our value chain expansion. And we also hope that through our ways of doing business and our sharing of positive impact stories to the world, we’ll be able to inspire other businesses big or small, to create positive impact with their decisions.
If one small R2R can create lasting impact in a community, imagine what a lot more of us can do in many more communities around the world. If enough of us work towards the same goal, we may be able to move the needle enough to make a difference.
Posted 31 Oct 2023
