(Submitted photo)
By Mark Ambrogi
The 724 jewelry and clothing line got its start when Jennifer Cuniffe began making bracelets to support a young Carmel girl.
Cuniffe, a jewelry designer, and her friend Lissa Schuessler, both Carmel residents, had talked about ways they could help support Henley Romine, who battled neuroblastoma before succumbing to the cancer at age 4 in July 2013. Cuniffe designed a bracelet and they called it the Brave Bee (Henley’s nickname) bracelets and began to sell it in support of Henley.
‘The neat message is we got started because she had a talent and we wanted to help a family,” Schuessler said. “Then all of sudden, we realized we can do so much and we created a product line. Then pretty soon her and I are sketching clothing lines.”
Schuessler was an engineer with a background in sales. Cuniffe previously had a jewelry business.
“What I found when I was doing this is I couldn’t make and sell at the same time,” Cuniffe said. “So when we started doing Brave Bee bracelets, (Schuessler) had an easy time talking to boutique owners and then they were open into looking at our other products.”
Schuessler said the clothing line was to capture the jewelry.
“The clothing line is called Canvas, the reason being it’s kind of a blank canvas. People can embellish it with our jewelry and other accessories,” Schuessler said.
The duo became equal business partners and had their launch last year.
Schuessler said the demand has kept growing throughout Florida and that Indy-area businesses have been “incredible” in supporting their business.
The clothing line and jewelry is available on love-724.com. The line also can be found in area boutiques, the Style Stop, 110 W. Main St., Carmel, and Profyle Boutique, 2727 E. 86th St., Haus Love, 5901 N. College Ave., in Indianapolis.
