The Trelawear Story
By Mara Perlmutter, Founder & CEO
My beautiful fashionista mom Sally was “my person”. She loved and believed in me personally and professionally, and was the biggest influence in my life. So when her health began to decline and her mobility became limited, I wanted to do everything to support her. My dad wanted her to wear one of those PERS (personal emergency response system) devices and asked me for help. Like many people, I had no knowledge of them, so he ordered 5 different devices, and then asked me to “sell” my mom on using one. My reply of “No Problem” showed my glaring ignorance.
I went to my parents’ home, looked at the devices and before even showing them said to myself “Oh No”. I presented each one to my mom, and her immediate response of “absolutely no way would I ever wear any of these, they’re ugly, they’re plastic and they make me feel old” was not surprising. She then quickly asked “Mara, you’ve been in the jewelry business over 25 years, can’t you make me something beautiful to wear in case of an emergency?” I of course said “sure” (having no idea if this could be done, but willing to take on the challenge) and thus the idea of Trelawear was born.
Like any good business leader, I immediately surveyed the marketplace. To my shock and dismay I found no attractive discreet emergency alert devices that provided a solution for my mom and women like her. There were plenty of viable options for men, but not one for women, who ironically make up over 75% of the users. I knew with my experience, contacts and tenacious drive I could design, develop, produce and market an attractive collection of discreet emergency alert devices that would make women feel good and maintain their independence.
I have dedicated the last 4 years fulfilling my moms’ request, and with the support of valued partners, we launched our first Trelawear collection of beautifully designed personal emergency alert pendants in late 2019. Most recently we proudly introduced Trelawear Bluetooth in conjunction with FallCall Solutions, enabling our devices to pair with your iPhone and Android smartphones or your Apple Watch through the FallCall Detect or FallCall Lite Apps on your phone.
As a tribute, our cushion shaped pendant is named “Sally” after my mom and the round shaped pendant “Bella” after my favorite aunt. Though my mom and aunt are no longer alive, their legacies fuel my passion to bring Trelawear to life and offer a beautiful discreet solution to all women who want safety with style.