Something Beautiful Always Comes – Our New Jewelry Collection with Mae Cargo
When it comes to picking who we choose to partner with, we always try to be intentional. Especially for our corporate partners, ones who work with us on a year-round basis rather than just per retreat, we pick companies that not only have a heart for our programs, but also go out of their way to make incredible products and experience for our retreat attendees. With each partnership and sponsor, it seems as if God’s hand has carefully woven every detail and person who has come alongside us to strengthen us as an organization. All hold a special piece of the puzzle that is the Beautifully Flawed Foundation.
Today we are stoked to announce that we have partnered with Mae Cargo for a special 3-piece jewelry collection inspired by faith, the ocean, Hawaiian lifestyle, and the beauty in flaws. The line includes an adjustable ring, adjustable bracelet, and easy clasp necklace, all created with the adaptive needs of our Beautifully Flawed Retreat attendees in mind. Over the past few months, Mae Cargo has poured heart and soul into creating these beautiful pieces, capturing the essence of our retreat and foundation to transform it into wearable art. Not only are these pieces gorgeous, but they also serve a greater purpose. By purchasing one or more of these items, a portion of sales goes back to our foundation to help support our programs for young men and women with limb difference.
As our team has worked with Mae Cargo to make these jewelry pieces possible, I wanted to properly introduce Mae Cargo and Kate, the one-woman show behind the brand, to our community to showcase just how special this jewelry and this incredible company truly are!
Humble Beginnings
I remember in preparation for our 2021 Kauai Beautifully Flawed Retreat we heard of a jewelry company called Mae Cargo that wanted to make a special gift for our girls attending the retreat that year. Each attendee received either a silver or a gold ring shaped as a rainbow. They were so beautiful and so fitting to our style and the girls absolutely loved them, they were a hit!
Since then, Mae Cargo has supported every Beautifully Flawed Retreat, gifting our attendees beautiful jewelry and even clothing, even if it meant shipping them out individually to each person.
Mae Cargo was founded by a sweet lady named Kate, a self-described “accidental jewelry designer.” She is also a self-taught creator, certified personal trainer, functional fitness coach, an amateur photographer, and a complete powerhouse! What started as just a fitness-inspired jewelry idea for Kate, grew into a sustaining and growing business after Kate left behind a gym that she co-owned in South Africa. When she came back to the States, she had no money in the bank, and found herself in a place where she had to completely start over.
She found herself at a crossroads having to choose two paths. She could either coach at a local gym in Seal Beach, California, or, the more scary option, fully devote her heart into Mae Cargo. Kate wanted to make jewelry for women like her, those who wanted something beautiful to wear but who were also always on the go. Most jewelry breaks or tarnishes easily. But Kate wanted to create jewelry that was durable and that could last through the sweat, water, and dips in the ocean that life brings. Her conviction led her to start Mae Cargo Jewelry + Boutique.
Kate remembers not knowing how God was going to use her, but she knew this is what she had to do. “Even though finances were a struggle to get Mae Cargo off the ground, I knew God would provide a way if I was faithful to the vision and stayed the course,” shared Kate.
She first heard about Beautifully Flawed from one of our team members who reached out for a sponsorship. Kate stared that the ask was nothing formal, but in her heart, she knew this was something so big. “There were so many “God” moments in my business leading up to this point, but this felt different and I didn’t know why… but now I do,” Kate said.
A Visit to Kauai
After donating to the retreats for a couple years, we were stoked to have Kate join us at our 2023 May Beautifully Flawed Retreat. As she and her family came out to Kauai, she truly realized just how special the opportunity to partner with us was. “I designed the Beautifully Flawed Necklace (mentioned above) as a passion project, before the foundation even asked me to design a full collection. I began working on this necklace because I wanted to start giving jewelry that was easy to put on/take off, for the girls who faced limb difference,” said Kate.
She went on to share, “At the retreat, seeing the girls put on these necklaces with ease was the ultimate gift. It sounds so silly and simple maybe to most… but I worked so hard on that piece to make it special and functional. Some of the girls’ faces lit up, knowing they didn’t have to ask for help putting on their necklace. So so cool. Still my absolute favorite memory!”
Another standout moment of the retreat was seeing one of our congenital amputees select a bracelet that she could actually wear. Born without her left hand, bracelets weren’t never really an option for her without the help of someone else. If she wore a bracelet on her right hand, she would need someone to do the clasp. If she wore it on her left hand, it would just slide right off. So out of the many Mae Cargo items out on display, she initially chose a necklace, knowing she could wear it. But after some time had passed, she re-approached the table asking if she could exchange her necklace for an adjustable cuff. The bracelet was easy to take on and off, could be adjusted with her nub arm, and it was durable enough to stand up to whatever life threw at her. Her excitement at finding a piece of jewelry that she could never wear before was contagious.
Behind the Designs
As we worked on this beautiful line exclusively made to benefit the Beautifully Flawed Foundation, Kate said she wanted to let the jewelry speak and represent the retreats. Her inspiration words were:
“Christ centered, ocean + surf inspired, functional for movement, functional for limb difference, durable for the active girl, timeless and beautiful and good quality.”
Kate said, “When I begin to design a new piece of jewelry, I make myself a visual idea board. I like to first envision shapes and textures, and after that I usually have a pretty good idea of where the project is going. This process takes awhile because once you have an idea… that idea tomorrow might not look as good. So it’s a process of patience, trust and elimination haha. It can get overwhelming thinking of what the end product will look like, but if you put your head down and trust in the process of creating and being ok with making mistakes, something beautiful always comes.”
The collaboration of Beautifully Flawed and Mae Cargo has turned into a partnership where the purchase of this line will directly help keep our mission of providing hope to overcome through Jesus, alive. When purchasing the BF collection, 15% of each order will go back to the organization. With the launch of this line, you will see how every piece has been specially designed just for us. There are three amazing pieces that are meant to speak to the culture of Hawaii, the lifeline of our faith, along with accessibility for all to enjoy our jewelry.
Kate shared these final words with us:
“Perseverance is the human heart trusting that God has really good things for us on the other side of the really hard things.”
Kate hopes that her story and this line reminds each of us that perseverance is the human heart, trusting that God has really good things for us… on the other side of really hard things.
Aloha,
Sarah Hill
Executive Director
Beautifully Flawed Foundation
Make Incredible Things Happen
Help further our mission and programs that support young people living with limb difference or those who’ve experienced traumatic limb loss by making a tax-deductible donation.
