Images via HALF UNITED

The other day, Rue marketing maven Ashley was racing around the office with what may be one of the coolest necklaces we’ve ever seen – think long chain, mismatched gold pendants, vintage-military vibe (and did we mention the shock of neon?). When we learned that this bauble stands for even more than accessorizing, let’s just say an obsession was born (and frenzied online ordering followed).

Founded in 2009 by brother-sister duo Christian and Carmin Black, HALF UNITED‘s goal is simple – to fight hunger through apparel profits. As an intern for TOMS shoes, Carmin quickly learned just how little it costs to keep a child well fed (in most developing nations, it’s a dollar a day; in the U.S., only a few dollars more), and she and her brother decided it was time to get in on the fight.

Every one of HALF UNITED’s sales is tracked to ensure that half of its profits are set aside for a food-related cause. Take their signature bullet necklace, for example (yes, the one we can’t stop obsessing over): with its purchase, a child may receive a week’s worth of school meals, or a food outreach event may be further supplemented. Working hand in hand with humanitarian groups in the U.S., Liberia, Fiji, and Cambodia, the Blacks’ mission to change lives is global in scale – and we can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

-By Sarah Stanley, Staff Writer

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