Kendra Scott, the eponymous jewelry company grown from the bedroom in her home some 23 years ago, is expanding with a new Western wear brand, Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott.
Yellow Rose will sell a full range of Western fashion, including boots and belts, hats, fashion and denim jeans with Wrangler – the only jean brand endorsed by the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association.
And, of course, it will carry jewelry with Western flair, like the collection designed in partnership with country music superstar Lainey Wilson and its jewelry line with the Paramount hit series Yellowstone. The Beth cuff retails for $80, and there’s matching Beth and Rip rings for $70 and $80 each.
“We do have some men’s so we aren’t forgetting the cowboy, but we wanted the cowgirl to be front and center with the Yellow Rose brand,” Kendra shared with me.
The Yellow Rose flagship store officially opened Friday, November 15 in Austin, just across South Congress Street from the original Kendra Scott store. New stores will open in Dallas and Houston before the end of the year and one is coming to Nashville in Summer 2025.
Following Ralph Lauren’s Lead
In launching the Yellow Rose brand, Kendra explained she is following the Ralph Lauren brand-building model, spinning off sub-brands reflecting different aspects of Ralph’s personality and lifestyle.
“Kendra Scott is the brand, then under that umbrella, we have Yellow Rose, which is another aesthetic that still shares many designer touchpoints, but we are doing it with a lifestyle approach and a Western aesthetic,” she explained.
The comparison with Ralph Lauren makes sense. Lauren started selling ties to Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s in 1967, followed by a full line of men’s fashion under the Polo brand name.
His original style aesthetic borrowed much from London’s Carnaby Street – he’d worked for Beau Brummel tie company before going out on his own – and the Polo brand name was an homage to the British aristocracy’s favorite sport.
Though Ralph Lauren has evolved to be known as a quintessentially American fashion brand, Kendra Scott’s Yellow Rose brand has even deeper American roots. While Ralph looked across the pond for inspiration, Kendra took inspiration from her Texas ranch.
America’s Original Contribution To Fashion
Western wear is America’s authentic and greatest contribution to the fashion world. The global Western wear market reached $90.1 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a 5.8% compound annual growth rate to $$134 billion by 2023, according to Metastat.
While North America accounts for the largest share of the market, Asia-Pacific customers have a heady appetite for it, too, as it is the second largest market for Western wear globally.
Yet, Kendra is eyeing the other side of the pond for opportunity. During the store’s soft launch before the official opening, a group of British tourists stopped by to get official Western gear and to play at the hat bar where customers can customize their cowboy or cowgirl hats with feathers, pins and bands, even have their hats “branded” with their initials.
“They said, ‘You need to open this in London. People will go nuts. We can’t get anything like this at home,’” Kendra said. “So I’m thinking, would London be a possibility? But right now, we’re looking a little closer to home, starting with Texas cities, then going selectively into other major markets in 2025 and beyond.”
Room To Grow
Before stepping into Western wear with both feet, the company tested the Yellow Rose concept online, in selective Kendra Scott stores with room for fashion and by outfitting a popup travel trailer to take to rodeos and other events.
“Every time we set out projections, we absolutely crushed it. I mean the reception was amazing and we saw an appetite for this not just in Texas but all over the United States,” Kendra said and continued, “We feel like this brand has the ability and the legs to grow like we grew Kendra Scott.”
Yellow Rose doesn’t see itself going up against major Western wear competitors, like the $1.7 billion Boot Barn with some 400 stores nationwide. Instead Yellow Rose, with its strong female vibe, complements rather than competes with the likes of Boot Barn yet both will rise with the same Western wear fashion tide, which Kendra is convinced is here to stay, not some passing fad.
To build the Yellow Rose brand, Kendra and company will lean on the learnings from growing Kendra Scott to a $1 billion business. Today Kendra Scott has a thriving e-commerce business, 142 stores nationwide, plus a partnership with Target that puts a range of Kendra Scott jewelry in over 250 Target stores.
The Target partnership has been a real boon for the brand and for Target too. Kendra Scott sales have grown in its stores located in close proximity to Target stores where it is shown – the proven halo effect in retail. And Target reports that it has seen a meaningful uptick in new Target customers through the brand.
“We are the most expensive jewelry brand ever sold at Target,” she said, yet every piece in the Target exclusive collection sells for under $50. “Target is trying to make really great brands accessible to give customers something affordable, but that is also something unique and different,” she said.
Just like Kendra Scott’s commitment to giving back – the company has donated over $70 million to women’s and children’s causes – Yellow Rose will support women artisans through a partnership with Nest. A portion of every Yellow Rose purchase will be donated to the non-profit to empower female makers, keeping philanthropy part of Kendra Scott’s DNA.
Of, By And For Women
Given that the brand comes out of Texas and Yellow Rose is the name of her ranch, it’s not hard to see where the brand name comes from. But for Kendra, the Yellow Rose has deeper meaning than the title of the Yellow Rose of Texas” folksong that dates back to before the Civil War.
“The yellow rose was worn by suffragettes when they were fighting for their right to vote, while red roses were worn by those against women’s rights,” she explained.
“We are brand after that suffragette spirit for the modern cowgirl. But she doesn’t have to dress Western top-to-toe, just look at Beth Dutton,” she said. “Beth is strong, powerful, determined and has true grit. That’s really resonating with women who feel the same way when they wear this fashion.
“I love the Western aesthetic and I love seeing how people everywhere are falling in love with it in our jewelry, accessories and clothing,” she concluded.
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