We know Craigslist as a useful, if sometimes somewhat sleazy, online classified ads service that lets you find almost any kind of product or service available. What’s more unusual are classified ads that leads to people starting their own companies. That was the case in 2007, when Steve Bernstein, the publisher of music rag Relix Magazine, put up an ad on Craigslist looking for ideas on how to repurpose guitar strings – he wanted to sell more ads in his magazines to guitar string companies, and thought that way non guitar players may buy guitar strings.
Amidst the 160 responses he received in his email inbox – in just three hours – was one from Hannah Garrison, a trained jewelry artist. Her idea? To make bracelets out of used guitar strings. In fact, Garrison had already been making those bracelets for friends for years. Bernstein immediately called her in, and within the hour they had negotiated the founding of a new company. Wear Your Music was born.
Music-related fashion merchandise company with a conscience
The company today is a music-related fashion merchandise company with a conscience. They have a ‘The Original Wear Your Music Artist Bracelet’ range of bangle-style bracelets, which makes use of used guitar strings donated by over 150 music artistes including modern favorites Jason Mraz, John Mayer and Jack Johnson and classic legends like Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend and Gregg Allman. There’s also a lower-priced line of unisex, one-size-fits-all guitar and bass string bracelets that available in seven different colors. Their ROCK RECYCLED line includes a range of eco-friendly music merchandise, ranging from bowls made from recycled records, to t-shirts and jewelry.
But perhaps more importantly – to the founders, and the fans that support them – Wear Your Music channels 100-percent of net profit from ‘The Original Wear Your Music Artist Bracelet’ range back to charity, to beneficiaries such as Music Cares, Little Kids Rock and Music in Schools Today. It has since raised nearly a half million dollars total for more than 100 charities. “We wanted to create music merchandise that allows everyone from the hardcore groupie to designer suit wearing Wall Streeter to connect with their favorite musician while giving back,” explains Hannah Garrison, co-founder of Wear Your Music.
“Our brand is the intersection of fashion, music and philanthropy,” she adds.
So if the likes of cheap getnamenecklace bracelets aren’t for you, how your wearing your these repurposed guitar strings instead?
