Features

Larchmont native named in Forbes’ under 30 list

The first time Jessica Hendricks traveled to Cambodia, it was to teach English. The college student left the airport in a cab and couldn’t believe her eyes. Her surroundings were unlike anything she was used to in New York.

“[In Cambodia] there’s an energy in the streets and a hustle to survive; they’re very much living in the present,” she said.

Jessica Hendricks, founder of The Brave Collection. Her jewelry line consists of handmade pieces by Cambodian artisans, and 10 percent of the company’s profits are donated to charities that fight human trafficking. Photos courtesy The Brave Collection
Jessica Hendricks, founder of The Brave Collection. Her jewelry line consists of handmade pieces by Cambodian artisans, and 10 percent of the company’s profits are donated to charities that fight human trafficking.

Hendricks, 27, is a Larchmont native and founder of The Brave Collection, a line of handcrafted jewelry made by Cambodian artisans. Because of the line’s success, she was named one of Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30 in Retail and Ecommerce” for 2016. In addition to supporting local artists by commissioning their work, The Brave Collection also donates 10 percent of its profits to fight human trafficking in Cambodia.

“In the beginning, we donated mostly to trafficking survivors; now we also focus on groups who support girls who are at risk for human trafficking,” Hendricks said.

The inspiration for the line came from Hendricks’ experiences during her first visit to Cambodia in 2008. Previously unaware of the country’s history, she was moved by the story of the genocide at the hands of Pol Pot between 1975 and 1979. She was particularly affected by the knowledge that 90 percent of Cambodia’s artisans were killed during that period.

Being an art student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts at the time, Hendricks considered art her main passion and “a home to [her],” and couldn’t imagine what those artists had been going through. She was also deeply affected when confronted by the realities of human trafficking while in Cambodia.

“Seeing girls my age and younger with their faces painted, lined up in front of the bars, hit me really hard,” Hendricks said.

Returning to school in Manhattan and home to Larchmont after spending several months on the other side of the world was a big adjustment.

“You could have this amazing dinner in Cambodia for $5, and then go home and spend $15 on a cocktail in New York,” said Hendricks, who has revisited the country three more times since that memorable first trip.

However, her time in Cambodia stuck with her and in 2012, two years after she graduated from college, she launched The Brave Collection in Larchmont at her mother’s jewelry store, Peridot Fine Jewelry.

“The Larchmont community has supported me from the very beginning,” Hendricks said.

Her mother, in particular, has offered a great deal of support to The Brave Collection, and influenced her daughter’s passion for making jewelry at a young age.

Hendricks was a freshman in high school when her mother opened Peridot, located at 1903 Palmer Ave. in Larchmont. She had formative years attending trade shows and learning about the industry from her mother. Hendricks said she fell “quite naturally” into the jewelry business.

Some of the bracelets from The Brave Collection. The collection features several pieces in the Khmer language and some Buddhist imagery. Photos courtesy The Brave Collection
Some of the bracelets from The Brave Collection. The collection features several pieces in the Khmer language and some Buddhist imagery. Photos courtesy The Brave Collection

Dawn Hendricks believes that her daughter is cut out for the industry as well. She said that Jessica Hendricks has a “really great grasp on how a person shops for jewelry,” in addition to the work ethic of a successful entrepreneur.

“She’s practical and visionary, and it’s very difficult to be both of those things,” Dawn Hendricks said. “What she’s done is amazing. She’s worked so hard and she really deserves her success.”

However, Jessica Hendricks cites her relationships with the artisans in Cambodia that she routinely communicates and collaborates with as one of the most critical components to the collection. Particularly, she mentions a Cambodian artisan and partner in The Brave Collection named Nimul who inspires her.

“She originally had to drop out of school and work as a house cleaner,” Jessica Hendricks said. “She is a real self-taught entrepreneur.”

As for Jessica Hendricks’ customers, she said as time has passed and the collection became more popular, she’s been moved by the reasons that women buy this jewelry for themselves and each other. Whether it is for their child moving away from home, or for a friend undergoing cancer treatment, Jessica cited a myriad of reasons why some of her customers are drawn to The Brave Collection.

“When I started Brave, it was about the brave women in Cambodia,” Jessica Hendricks said. “But now, we’ve embraced ‘brave’ as a philosophy that can apply to any woman and it’s really powerful.”

Moving forward, Jessica Hendricks hopes to expand the company’s operation, which is currently based in Brooklyn, and pursue relationships with larger retailers. However, the collection can still be bought from Peridot, where it began four years ago in addition to more than 60 other locations worldwide.