Women I Admire: An interview with Kendra Scott + a fabulous GIVEAWAY

Hi Friends! Today I am thrilled to be kicking off a new series of interviews with Women I Admire! I couldn't be more excited that my first interview is with the über fabulous jewelry designer Kendra Scott! Without further adieu...

Your jewelry is so fun and colorful! What is YOUR favorite color?

I love color, which is why I infuse it into all of my collections, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be yellow. Yellow is gorgeous, radiant and can truly brighten up anything,  from an outfit to a room. I branded my company with yellow, after all, and I absolutely love wearing it.

How do you manage being a super successful business woman and a mama?

My most important job is being a mother to my two precious sons, so I always

make my family my priority. Being a mom and a business woman definitely

takes dedication and determination, but when you maintain a positive, optimistic attitude and surround yourself with a great team, it’s absolutely doable. I feel so blessed to get to do what I’m passionate about for my job, so it doesn’t feel like

work!

I'm so inspired that you started your business with only $500 and some serious passion! What advice do you have for anyone hoping to start a small business?

First, find something that you are passionate about, then use your talents

and passion to create a business that utilizes them. Once you figure out your

direction, delete the word “no” from your vocabulary and never take it as an

answer. Once you get started, if you keep this attitude, it will take you places you never dreamed of being!

Personally I'm a beauty junkie. I can't live without lip gloss and mascara. What are your beauty essentials?

I am right there with you – lip gloss and mascara are undoubtedly on my beauty essentials list. A glossy lip and voluminous eyelashes can be beauty lifesavers. Chanel lip gloss tops my favorite list and Dior Show Mascara is my go to for gorgeous lashes. Another beauty product that I always have on hand is Renee Furterer dry shampoo – it is a total miracle worker and time saver!

Your Pre-Fall 2012 line is just amazing! How far in advance do you plan each season's jewelry?

We are continuously looking for design inspiration for our jewelry, but we start

designing for a line around six months before it is released. It’s a long process, but it’s so rewarding and fun to see our ideas and sketches come to life as we

progress with each step.

Where do you find most inspiration?

I find design inspiration in everything from the breathtaking architecture I see

during my travels, to the people I see walking the streets of South Congress at

my Austin headquarters. I’m also inspired by other designers, in fact, I was so

inspired by Tom Ford’s incredible return to fashion Spring 2011 collection that

I used it as major inspiration for my Fall 2012 collection. You can check out the amazing collection HERE.

What is your most favorite piece of jewelry you've ever created? (I'm guessing it will be hard to choose!)

This is very hard to choose, but I think my favorite piece would be our Ignacia Necklace, which is part of our amazing feather collection. Design wise, this piece is absolutely breathtaking with its intricate feather detailing and ghost frames that let the brilliantly colored stones take center stage. It’s one of those pieces that can completely transform an outfit. This statement necklace can take a plain t-shirt from drab to fab and that’s the kind of jewelry I’m most proud of.

What is one piece of Kendra Scott jewelry you think every woman should have in her jewelry wardrobe?

Without a doubt, our signature Danielle Earrings in any of our kaleidoscope of colors! Whether worn on a casual shopping day with your girlfriends or a special night out with your man, these earrings are so versatile. While turquoise is our most popular color, you’d be surprised at how much wear you’d get out of the

Danielles in any color.

Kendra loves the Danielles so much that she wants one of you to have your own pair - in ANY color, or design your own with any color and any metal from the Color Bar. (Luckies!!) To enter, just use the rafflecopter below. Lots of different ways to enter so enter as many or as few times as you'd like. Best of luck!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway