Since founding her eponymous jewelry line in 2002, the Austin-based entrepreneur Kendra Scott has built a billion-dollar brand and become a household name, one you’ll see emblazoned on more than 140 standalone stores across the country, by last count. But she is still expanding her empire. Her latest project, a new lifestyle label called Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott, is a self-proclaimed “love letter to Texas” that celebrates her deep-rooted Western values and feminist spirit.
“Over the past year we’ve been building toward a retail experience that celebrates the modern cowgirl, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with the world,” Scott says of her flagship showroom, which opened this month in a century-old building on Austin’s South Congress Avenue.
The store carries jewelry, clothing, hats, and home goods along with boots and other items from Western brands like Westerly Hide Blazers and HbarC Apparel. As she has done with her jewelry line, Scott has woven a commitment to giving back into the fabric of Yellow Rose, which will support the Nest Women of the West fund through sales, grants, and an annual heritage prize.
We recently sat down with the Texas tastemaker to learn more about the new venture. “After twenty-three years of building this company,” she says, “I’ve never been more excited about what lies ahead.”
You’ve called this new brand your “love letter to Texas.” What do you mean by that?
Austin has been the foundation of my journey from day one. In many ways, Yellow Rose is a natural extension of what we’ve always done at Kendra Scott, but with a Western twist. Most approach Western from a masculine point of view, but I felt that the store should put the cowgirl first, not just through accessories and clothing but by empowering women to embrace bold styles that feel personal and fresh.
Why name it Yellow Rose?
When I first moved to Texas, my stepdad welcomed me with a bouquet of yellow roses. Later I discovered the flower’s historical significance during the suffrage movement, symbolizing independence, resilience, and the power of women to create meaningful change. Today it continues to inspire me, especially through my Yellow Rose Ranch in the Texas Hill Country, where I’ve reconnected with family and found both clarity and inspiration. Over the last two decades, elements of Western design have inspired many of our best-sellers, but it was my time in the Hill Country that truly brought this vision to life.
How did you land on the right location for this concept?
In 2010 we opened our first store on South Congress, followed by our flagship down the road in 2017. So it only felt natural to have the Yellow Rose flagship directly across the street. South Congress is where so much of our story was written and where the city first embraced our brand. To see it come full circle is a “pinch me” moment.
What did the year-long renovation look like from a historic preservation perspective?
The renovation was a thoughtful process that prioritized retaining the charm and history of the 1920s building. One of the standout features involved repurposing the original tin ceiling tiles and integrating them into a new community gathering place called Beau’s Bar. We were also committed to maintaining the building’s structural integrity, especially the columns throughout the center of the space, which we reimagined with handmade leather hides from Austin’s acclaimed Texas Traditions boot shop. We worked hard to preserve the original stone façade and focused on incorporating antique furniture, fixtures, and decorative elements inside. I’ve been collecting pieces from Round Top for the last few years—two favorites include a glass vitrine case in the center of the store and a 1940s Italian clover conversation sofa, which is a major focal point.
Are there any special moments in the store you’re excited for customers to experience?
Personalization is at the heart of this brand, and we’ve introduced a Hat Bar, inspired by our Kendra Scott Color Bar, where customers can customize their Western hats with hat burning, branding, vintage finds, and other add-ons. The very first business I ever started was a hat company, so being able to bring my hat-loving vision to life in a new way feels amazing.
