# Zulugrass Jewelry The Leakey Collection Employs Women in the The Rift Valley, Kenya By Bianca | Published 2012-01-24 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-leakey-collection References: [leakeycollection](http://www.leakeycollection.com/) In 2001 a drought in The Rift Valley, Kenya left about 100 families without husbands and fathers, as the men had to travel with cattle to find fresh vegetation. To help the women and children support themselves while the men were away, Katy and Philip Leakey came up with the idea for The Leakey Collection, a fair trade line of jewelry and accessories made by those left behind. Today, The Leakey Collection is sold online to an international market, and consists of natural items like fallen tree wood that has been handcrafted into unique designs by the Maasai artisans who are provided with fair wages. Their store includes interior design items and [bracelets, necklaces and earrings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/handcrafted-jewelrys) made of Zulugrass and Zuluwood. They offer an assortment of items perfect for gifts too, such as eyeglass holder necklaces, belts, Eco Chic hangtags and note cards. **Contact Information** The Leakey Collection [website](http://www.leakeycollection.com/) The Leakey Collection on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/#!/LeakeyLife) The Leakey Collection on [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/leakeycollection) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.8/10 - Popularity: 97% | Activity: 100% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Fair Trade Jewelry:** The Leakey Collection's fair trade line of jewelry and accessories made by Maasai artisans provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the jewelry industry. - **Eco-friendly Accessories:** The Leakey Collection's use of fallen tree wood and Zulugrass to create unique designs provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the sustainable accessories industry. - **Women Empowerment:** The Leakey Collection's employment of women in The Rift Valley provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the fashion industry to include more social responsibility and female empowerment. ### Where This Applies - **Jewelry:** The Leakey Collection's fair trade jewelry made of natural elements such as fallen tree wood and Zulugrass provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the jewelry industry. - **Sustainable Fashion:** The Leakey Collection's use of sustainable materials and fair trade practices provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the sustainable fashion industry. - **Socially Responsible Business:** The Leakey Collection's commitment to social responsibility in their employment practices provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for businesses looking to prioritize social impact. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [International Jewelry-Focused Digital Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jeweler-collective.md) - [Consciously Cool Jewelry](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-art-of-adornment.md) - [Women-Empowering Jewelry Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/womenempowering-jewelry.md) - [Stunning Organic-Inspired Jewelry Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/organicinspired-jewelry.md) - [Grass Root-Made Sculptural Wearables](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rootfull.md) - [Travel-Inspired Jewelry Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dean-davidsons-nomad-collection.md) - [D2C Artisan Marketplaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artisan-marketplace1.md) - [Women-Designed Jewelry](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gaillard-jewelry.md) - [Recycled Metal Jewellery](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/recycled-metal-jewellery-reformation-x-clair-waight-keller-create-a-limited.md)