For over a decade now, Iloilo mannequin Ria Bolivar has been considered as a “supermodel” in the Philippines — her balingkinitan (skinny) built, sharp jawline and morena (brown skin) features have made her the poster child of Filipina beauty and fashion, may it be on magazine covers or the catwalk.

But during the pandemic, Ria discovered another angle of hers different from the poses she has made as a model.

Unable to grace the runway as she used to, because live shows were banned during the pandemic, Ria rekindled an old love for crocheting, a hobby she learned from a friend.

“I already knew how to crochet before, but I really started crocheting during the pandemic,” Ria told DAILY TRIBUNE in an exclusive interview. “My friend taught me the basics and I was able to finish one doll!”

At the beginning, Ria was only crocheting for fun for her kids, trying to make dinosaur hats for them.

“And yeah, I also made a bag for myself and then one of my friends saw it and was like, ‘Can I buy that?’ (I said,) ‘Okay, I’ll make one for you’. And then after two weeks, one of my friends in Manila, from Sydney, ordered 20 bags, and I’m like, ‘Okay! Just give me, like, three months,’ because I just started. Then after that, 20 pieces. I told myself, ‘Okay, I can turn this into a business!’”

Thanks to YouTube tutorials, Ria can now crochet anything she wants to — and recreate any design with just one look.

“I saw a shell before; they turned it into a vase. I said, ‘I can turn this into a bag!’” she shared.

Following a successful pop-up shop in Katutubo in Taguig City, Ria opened this week a store inside BRGY, a design collective together with her fellow Ilonggo creative, Jor-el Espina, along with other designers like Jun Escario, Jerome Lorico and Ino Caluza of Viktor Jeans.

BRGY is at the seventh floor of One Corporate Plaza, Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City.

At Ria’s BRGY store, one can find her day-to-night signature designs — such as the whimsical Shell bag and the luxurious Mystique bag — available in different colors together with tops and other bags she and her five staff members made. All products were handmade in Iloilo.

“I can finish a piece in one and a half days,” she enthused.

According to her, even if she is in Iloilo, all her friends in Manila can still own a piece of her through her shop at BRGY.

“Don’t give up! Try your best,” she advised aspiring models and entrepreneurs. “If you’ve got a dream, try every way to pursue your dream. You don’t need lots of money to do it.”

She recommended being an entrepreneur especially for moms since kids “grow up so fast.”

“Do everything, from waking up early in the morning to bringing your kids to school, to be able to bond with your kids even just in the car. Seize every opportunity to spend more time with them.”

If given the chance to expand her line into a big brand, Ria is willing to do it, just as she is able to slay any runway.

“In the future, yes!”