She Beads owner, Sandy Rueve, was working for the Chicago Bulls as an X-ray technician almost 20 years ago, and began stringing beads for her children in her down time. “Michael Jordan came up to me and asked me to make him something,” Rueve says. “He was my first customer, and I wanted to make him something durable, easy to wear and somewhat tribal.” Since then, She Beads has been a source of artisan clay beads for customers all over the world.
She Beads, and the corresponding He Beads for men, are handmade in Chicago. Each bead’s pattern is slightly different in color, but many of Rueve’s collections are fashioned for a cause. “Having worked in a hospital, I have a need to nurture people,” she notes. “I’ve helped causes such as canine cancer and pediatric brain cancer, to name a few.” Most recently, Rueve developed a bracelet to aid the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund (HSRF), to show that Sandy, “is still a good name.” The bracelet retails for $36, with $22 going to the HSRF. Overall, She Beads bracelets retail for $25 to $98. “Retailers can contact me to go over the wholesale agreement and arrange their opening orders,” Rueve adds. Retailers can buy product at a 50 percent discount, and also receive marketing materials. Rueve also points out that the company is one hundred percent made in America.
For more information:
She Beads
821 Ridge Road
Wilmette, IL 60091
Toll Free: 888-920-1923
Website: www.sbstore.com