Heritage

Our founder

First and foremost, thank you.

Uri began as a journey of motherhood, an aspiration to use a career in fashion to magnify the incomparable skills of female artisans in the Philippines and reshape the opportunities within a community that raised me.

As a sole parent I know the value of time, and employing mothers and grandmothers means providing a safe place to play and study in our workshops whilst financially supporting these matriarchal pillars of the community. Bringing my own daughter to the Iloilo (pronounced E-low-e-low)province as Uri went from paper to practice solidified my dream for this brand - designing with nature to create a more breathable future and the best bag money could buy.

From sourcing Abacá to growing our own saplings through support from the local government, every step we take is towards a more transparent way of circular making.

From sketches to stitching, I have sewn a little bit of my soul into every single bag, as have the many artisans whose hands they pass through before we present them to you. Consistency, quality and craftsmanship run through every centimetre of every bag and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved since 2019.

From the Philippines, to London, to you.

With love,

Charly & the Uri Team 

 

Our communities

As a 95% female led team, we aim to empower our communities of women by highlighting the value of their labour.

Our community in Janiuay (pronounced Han-ee-wai) are incredibly experienced and pass on their skills to younger, more impoverished communities, the elders training them to twine and weave Manilla hemp into our biodegradable bags. 

Our most remote community is based in Leon and specialises in the weaving of Pandan, a durable plant with versatile, fibrous leaves. These women are overseen by M’am Susan, a single mother supporting her family and sustaining work for other local women.

Although the majority of our accessories and homewares are handwoven, our team in Igbaras are a fabric weaving community who specialise in the use of traditional handlooms using skills passed down through generations.