<\/p>\n
By Meghan Murphy
\nThere\u2019s no dearth of accessories these days that raise money for charity. People across the country sport bags, clothing, bracelets, and whatever they can get their hands on to support their cause of choice. But back in 2001, when Elisa Ilana founder Laurie Langdon-Gerber was opening her first store in an Omaha, Neb. shopping mall, the concept was less familiar.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was not this big pink [breast cancer support] craze that there is now,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was kind of a new concept, making jewelry that was affiliated with cause marketing.\u201d <\/p>\n
Langdon-Gerber reconnected with her son\u2019s former sixth grade music teacher, who had breast cancer, in the mall where her store was located. Moved when she heard about her friend\u2019s diagnosis, Landgon-Gerber began to contact charity organizations to see if she could donate some of the proceeds from a specialized jewelry line to their causes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBelieve it or not, we actually had people turn us down,\u201d she laughs. But once production got underway, it took off, and even her son\u2019s former teacher got in on the action. \u201cShe came in during chemo and radiation so that she had somewhere to go that was a support group, and she helped to make the bracelets,\u201d says Landgon-Gerber.<\/p>\n
Soon, the word spread and more organizations contacted Elisa Ilana to have designs made for their causes. One of the requests gave birth to the Liz\u2019s Legacy collection, which honors the memory of Liz Karnes, who was married to former Nebraska Senator David Karnes. She lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2003, and Langdon-Gerber hopes Elisa Ilana\u2019s line dedicated to Karnes would raise national awareness about her life and legacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they approached me with this, we kind of had a national presence,\u201d she says. \u201cSo I was hoping to lend \u2026 their foundation a boost.\u201d<\/p>\n
Landgon-Gerber and her small design staff have hand picked every charity their designs benefit, from AIDS to diabetes to soldiers\u2019 families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe chose the things that we actually were passionate about,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
All these years later, with a second store opening and a thriving online presence, Elisa Ilana is still a pioneer in the business, and they are dedicated to donating 10 percent of their proceeds to the specified cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe jewelry isn\u2019t significantly different today from when I originally designed it because I like the design,\u201d says Langdon-Gerber.<\/p>\n
Elisa Ilana\u2019s designs feature handmade sterling silver, 14 carat gold, freshwater pearls, and Swarovski crystals. The awareness line\u2019s most popular piece, the pink Spectacular bracelet, is inspired by the trademark color scheme for breast cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe different piece parts that are in my jewelry all have significance,\u201d Landgon-Gerber says. Take, for example, Elisa Ilana\u2019s signature piece, rings that move over the beads. The movement that the design lends to the jewelry represents that \u201cthe move toward a cure never sleeps,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
And the awareness brand grows with a limited edition piece every few years. The designs are sometimes purposefully designed to mark a milestone, like a 10-year cancer survivor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last one we did was made from genuine 14 millimeter pink tourmalines, and they were in a variety of shades and colors and so forth,\u201d says Landon-Gerber. \u201cWithin the next couple of years we\u2019ll have another limited edition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t look for an East Coast retail location anytime soon, though. Elisa Ilana is considering a Las Vegas installment in the future, but in the meantime, the company continues using its online store as the main sales outlet. Check out www.elisailana.com for more information.<\/p>\n
Source: http:\/\/blastmagazine.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Meghan Murphy There\u2019s no dearth of accessories these days that raise money for charity. People across the country sport bags, clothing, bracelets, and whatever they can get their hands on to support their cause of choice. But back in 2001, when Elisa Ilana founder Laurie Langdon-Gerber was opening her first store in an Omaha, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[411],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n