We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Le Ching V a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Le Ching, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Roncy Packs is a women-owned, family-run business, handcrafting fanny packs using upcycled materials in Toronto.

It all began when a 3-year-old boy asked his grandma to make him a fanny pack. So she made him one, using the fabric scraps she accumulated over 40 years as a seamstress. Since 2020, we’ve been diverting tons of textile waste and building a community around this effort. A significant portion of our supplies comes from local businesses (i.e. scraps from upholstery stores) and community donations (i.e. shipping mailers, damaged leather goods, etc).

More importantly, Roncy Packs has become our mom’s creative outlet and a form of connection for our family.

What started off as a fun hobby during the summer of 2020, has become an incredible journey into sustainable fashion and we’re more committed than ever to keeping things slow, small and close to home.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Our growth on social media was unplanned and quite natural, I think because we’ve been so transparent about our journey. Starting anything new involves messing up, asking questions and figuring things out. So we shared all that (with a hint of self-deprecating humour). It’s hard not to connect with that type of experience as human beings wired for social connection.

My advice is aim for imperfection. Aim for sharing your story, mistakes and progress. There’s a greater chance you’ll gain some of the biggest cheerleaders for your brand.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There can be a willingness to please especially if you’re a new artist or maker seeking validation for your work. When we first started, we offered free local delivery, sometimes 10-15 locations per night. It clearly wasn’t sustainable nor were we compensating ourselves properly for all aspects of our work. We learned early on to set boundaries and got comfortable saying “no” to things that don’t align with our values.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://roncypacks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roncypacks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roncypacks/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@roncypacks

Image Credits
Le Ching Vuong