Larchmont Resident Uses Jewelry Business To Fight Human Trafficking

Jessica Hendricks of Larchmont didn’t just sit back and lament man’s inhumanity to man­—perhaps man’s inhumanity to woman is more to the point—she actually did something about it. Following a life-altering trip to Southeast Asia, the 27-year-old crusader rolled up her sleeves to help victimized women on the other side of the world with her startup jewelry line, The Brave Collection (www.thebravecollection.com).

Launched just two years after she graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the humanitarian jewelry line features bracelets and necklaces of various metals, with cotton-braided straps that include the word Brave in Cambodian and English, handmade entirely by Cambodian artisans.

“All of our artisans work in a free, fair and dignified work environment where they are paid above-average wages and receive benefits such as health insurance and stipends for their children’s educations,” says Hendricks, who also donates 10 percent of the company’s earnings to nonprofits that fight against human trafficking. With prices that range from $38 to $78, Hendricks cites sales to 57 countries and every US state. The Brave Collection has not only been featured on TV and in international fashion magazines like Glamour and Vogue, celebs such as actress Olivia Wilde, fashion designer Tory Burch and others have stepped up for the cause.