Mirror, Mirror: The latest bracelet gets you grounded

Take a close look at the wrist of your favorite celebrity or beloved teen.

Nestled between strands of turquoise stones and evil eyes, red Kabbalah strings and crocheted bands, you'll likely glimpse the latest in arm-candy fashion - Lokai bracelets.

This year's fall jewelry phenom is a ring of clear silicone beads with an opaque black and white bead at either end. The white bead is said to be infused with water from Mount Everest - the Earth's highest point - and the black one is packed with mud from the Dead Sea - its lowest point.

The message behind the $18 bauble - a regular on the Instagram feeds of actor Harry Styles, models Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, and, yes, The Bieb - is the importance of maintaining emotional and spiritual stability in your everyday life.

Steven Izen, the 24-year-old entrepreneur behind Lokai, chose the name because it means "balance" in Hawaiian. In just two years, Izen said, he has sold more than a million bracelets.

"I wanted to create a physical manifestation of the emotional feeling I was having," said Izen, who was inspired to make Lokai while on a beach vacation with his family during his freshman year at Cornell University.

Izen, then a highly regarded track star, was on top of the world. Then his grandfather, Eliott, who taught him how to shoot pool and play golf, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

"I thought about the Dead Sea and Mount Everest and thought it would be cool to incorporate those elements into something that was a reminder to stay humble when at the top and remain hopeful when you've hit a low," Izen explained.

The good vibes don't come just from wearing the bracelets. Ten percent of Lokai sales - $2.5 million so far - is donated to a variety of charities, including Pencils of Promise, which builds schools in poor countries, and the Best Buddies Foundation, which helps children with developmental disabilities make lasting friendships.

In February, Lokai began producing limited-edition capsule collections earmarked for charities. Blue beads replaced clear ones for World Water Day in March (which earned major Twitter traction). A green, camouflage bracelet raised money for the World Wildlife Fund.

And this month, Today host Hoda Kotb gave viewers a sneak peak of the pink Lokai for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. So far, Lokai has raised more than $400,000 for Komen through online sales at www.mylokai.com.

"I've been preselling them like crazy," said Pam Katz, owner of Down 2 Earth Kids in Lafayette Hill, who will have them in the store Thursday to coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "I can't keep up with the sales."

Part of Lokai's allure is that it has the pliability of the Livestrong bracelet - wearers can type, swim, or gaze while in the downward dog position without interruption - and the charitable component of Toms shoes.

"While Gen Xers and baby boomers think ethical fashion is nice but still want the discount price, giving back is one of the core ways millennials connect to the DNA of a brand," said Tina Wells, CEO of the Buzz Marketing Group in Haddonfield.

Lokai, Wells said, is cleverly taking advantage of trends driving the purchases of millennial shoppers: conscious consumption, collectibles, exclusivity, spirituality, and celebrity endorsement. Of course, Izen stresses Lokai bracelets doesn't have any magical properties. Instead, they are a visual reminder to get grounded that can't be overlooked while texting.

"I stare at mine when I'm doing yoga," said Holly Schoenfeld, 25, of Drescher, who wears two Lokais among the eight bracelets she wears every day, and who bought six for her fellow yogi friends. "There is so much pressure for us to do well in school and in life. I look at it and it reminds me to chill out a bit."

Still, there are a fair amount of disbelievers. The bracelets have spawned many YouTube videos - some with tens of thousands of viewers - showing cynical teens cutting open with scissors the black and white balls of their Lokais. The results are generally the same: the white bead has a bit of water in it, if any (a victim of evaporation, maybe?), and the black one is packed with mud.

"We stand by the authenticity page on our website that has documented our journeys," Izen said.

Izen began developing the Lokai bracelet shortly after he thought up the idea in 2009. He designed the bracelet in his dorm room.

He then researched the best way to hire Sherpas to retrieve water from Nepal's Mount Everest. (According to Lokai, some of the proceeds from the classic Lokai have been donated to the American Himalayan Foundation since the April earthquake.)

He also connected with companies in the Middle East that source Dead Sea mud - a popular ingredient in many cosmetics.

Manufacturing began after Izen found investors. One of them is Tony Berger, owner of Relevent, the marketing and brand-building firm that represents well-known companies from Diesel to Victoria's Secret. Shortly after the launch, one of the first celebrities Izen saw wearing the classic Lokai was NFL running back Arian Foster.

"And I still don't know how it got into his hands," Izen said, a hint of humble disbelief in his voice. "I always did believe that Lokai would become a big brand because we are authentic and true to our core message."

Elizabeth Wellington hosts a cocktail party and panel Oct. 13 with local fashion experts as part of the Philadelphia Collection. To purchase tickets: www.Philly.com/fallartsevents.

ewellington@phillynews.com

215-854-2704

@ewellingtonphl