Toronto women are selling upcycled fanny packs from a front porch
Whether they make you feel like a fashionista or a sporty dad from the 90s, fanny packs have skyrocketed in popularity throughout the past few years, people loving their convenience and overall aesthetic.
Roncy Packs is a mighty mother-and-daughters trio in Roncesvalles that are redefining the way we think of fanny packs - sourcing their material from upcycled fabrics and making beautiful pouches that come in a variety of colours and styles. In turn, each one becomes a work of art.
What started as a hobby during the summer of 2020 has transformed into a journey of sustainable fashion.
Kim Nguyen, a skilled seamstress, started to use up her endless piles of scraps from different projects to create fanny packs, each one having its own unique story to tell through the material it's made from.
"My mom’s been a seamstress for the past 40 years, so it's pretty common for us to bring her requests for things to make," said daughter Le Ching Vuong.
"My nephew requested a fanny pack, and he loved it. My mom started making one for everybody else in the family with all these leftover fabrics she had, and she kept making more so I started selling them on Facebook marketplace. We gradually developed a pretty big following."
Each fanny pack purchased from Roncy Packs is unique, like snowflakes, with none identical even in the same style. The material really speaks for itself, giving each item its own special history.
"When we work with textiles that come from random places, it's really fun to see how a piece of fabric can transform into something different. It's always fun to see what the outcome will be," said Le Ching.
Nguyen is currently the sole fanny pack maker in the family, but will start teaching her daughters how to cut fabrics and contribute to the creation when it gets busy. Le Ching and her sister Lyli Vuong are in charge of handling the business, as well as running events that will feature Roncy Packs in Toronto.
Roncy Packs will be making an appearance at the Toronto Art Crawl on June 4th, the Toronto Artisan Market on June 19th and at many other marketplaces throughout the summer. You can find a detailed list of events on their website.
You can also buy a fanny pack from Nguyen right from her front porch in Roncesvalles by shooting her a DM and sharing your desired style - she'll have a lineup of different fanny packs tailored to your preferences.
Roncy Packs
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