Our 2011 Accomplishments

Pin ItHappy Friday everyone–Kendra Here!   With only two days left in 2011, I wanted to take some time to look back at what we have accomplished this year at Kendra Scott Design.  It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come since 2010, and I want to truly thank all of my amazing family, friends, and staff in Austin, Dallas & Beverly Hills, as well as my fans and followers.  There is absolutely no way we could have achieved all that we did in 2011 without you. I feel beyond blessed and forever grateful!  Read on for a look back at the many accomplishments, accolades, and sheer fun and joy that 2011 brought us!

Pin It1. Austin Grand Opening Party – Our Austin boutique and corporate headquarters transformed into a candy land as Austinites (who were asked to wear the color that defines them) gathered for delicious food, cocktails, and tons of fun at our very first store opening!  One of my friends (who also happens to be a very handsome movie star) Luke Wilson also stopped by the spectacular party.  If you missed out, Paul Raila put together an amazing video of the exciting evening!

Pin It2. Nordstrom Debut – In May, I was thrilled when we joined the Nordstrom family, one of the nation’s top (and my favorite) department stores.

Pin It3. Making an Austin Bride’s Dream Come True – There’s nothing better than a surprise! In May, I had a blast helping Rachael Ray and her team surprise Austin bride Ashley with the most magical wedding and honeymoon!  The beautiful, sweet bride with an amazing love story even sent us a special thank you video after her big day.

Pin It4. Austin’s Best Place to Work – Although it was a dry month in Texas, May brought us a shower of awards!  Not only were we voted one of the “Best Places to Work” by Austin Business Journal but AOL also named us one of the “Best Stories” on their Austin City’s Best Website.

5. Randolph Duke Resort 2012 – The summer brought some fun projects as we got to make dozens of breathtaking couture jewels to compliment Randolph Duke‘s designs on his resort 2012 runway in June.

6. Beverly Hills Grand Opening – After Austin welcomed us with open arms, we decided to take on Tinseltown! In August, we threw a lavish party to celebrate our grand opening in the 90210.  Stars like Hilary Duff studded our red carpet while guests enjoyed our photo booth at the gorgeously decorated event. If you haven’t made it our to our Beverly Hills home, check out this exclusive behind the scenes video of the store!

7. Candy Couture With the Lower Eastside Girls Club of New York – In June, I teamed up once again with Rachael Ray and had the opportunity to meet and get creative with some truly spectacular young girls at the Lower Eastside Girls Club in NYC.  I am always inspired by the creative minds of children, and these girls sure knew how to make some fabulous and delicious candy couture jewels that I was able to share on the Rachael Ray Show!

8. Winning Big at the Austin Fashion Awards – This year Austin Fashion Week was better than ever with so many fabulous events! My team and I were on cloud 9 when we won golden boots for both Best Jewelry Designer & Best Overall Designer in August!

9. Helping an Inspiring Bride Create her Dream Wedding – In October, I was fortunate enough to join the Rachael Ray team once again to make another truly amazing bride’s wedding dreams a reality!  If you haven’t seen courageous bride Jeanetta’s story, you can read and watch it here…trust me, you don’t want to miss it!

10. Kendra Scott Dallas Store Opening – I was jumping for joy this November when the Kendra Scott retail family became a trio, with our store opening in Dallas’ West Village!  It feels so good to now be a part of the fabulous fashion capital of the south, and they have made my Dallas team and I feel so welcomed.

11. Kendra Scott Austin Boutique in National Small Business Saturday Commercial – I wasn’t surprised when American Express decided to film their national Small Business Saturday commercial in Austin. Witnessing the camera crew travel to our very own SOCO boutique to film a portion of the commercial was beyond amazing! The commercial aired in November, and if you didn’t see it on TV, check it out here!

12. Tribeza’s 10 Austinites of the Year – I was absolutely floored and grateful beyond words to have been chosen by Tribeza as one of their 10 Austinites of the Year alongside such good company!

13. Prime Time Pandemonium – Our jewelry got oodles of national exposure in 2011 and I was absolutely thrilled to see so many gorgeous prime time celebs rocking Kendra Scott jewelry!  From the beautiful Sophia Vergara on Modern Family‘s fall season premiere, to soccer star Hope Solo on Dancing With The Stars, our baubles made dozens of appearances on some of the most lovely ladies of prime time TV!

14. Holiday Crafts on Rachael Ray – I was lucky enough to work with the amazing Rachael Ray again in December, this time with holiday craft ideas for the family!  I had a blast making home-made ornaments with my boys Cade and Beck and then showcasing them with Rachael on her show!  The snowflake ornament was a crowd favorite, but if you missed it, you can watch my segment here.

15. Adopting Lifeworks Families for Christmas – It’s a Kendra Scott team tradition to adopt families from Austin’s Lifeworks and provide them with a truly magical Christmas and this December we enjoyed playing Santa’s elves and provided for two deserving families.

16. Giving Back to Local & National Organizations – One of my three company cores is philanthropy and in 2011 we gave to several local and national organizations.  In February, we teamed up with the sweet and creative Issie to design a necklace (the Issie Heart Necklace) based on her drawings whose proceeds benefit the National Down Syndrome Congress.  We also hosted designer for a day throughout the year for aspiring designers at AISD elementary schools.  We also hosted several Girl’s Night Outs and events to benefit nonprofits like  Blessings in a Backpack, our American troops, the American Red Cross, and local causes like Zavala Elementary School, in addition to donating jewelry for countless silent auctions and fundraisers that support charities and organizations we love!

I am so thankful for everything that has happened in 2011 and cannot wait to experience what is in store for 2012! Thanks again for your continued support and have a fabulous New Year!