Kennedy James began as a clothing line 18 years ago. Crystal was a corporate accountant in Birmingham, Alabama prior to becoming a mother. Named after her two oldest children, Rollins Kennedy and James Grady. The brand specialized in custom clothing for women and children. After the birth of her third child, Crystal decided to take some time off to take care of her three children, ages 5 and under. Weeks turned to years, and Crystal always had the desire to start her business back up, but just couldn’t find the time.

When her daughter, Rollins, decided to attend the University of Mississippi, Crystal immersed herself in the dorm culture of Mississippi. She, along with her daughter, traveled to various fabric stores to design her dream dorm. Rollins posted a before and after of the room on Tik Tok and woke up the next morning with 4.5 million views and thousands of comments about how could they order items. All the work Crystal did to make her dorm so special reignited her love for design and sewing. She toyed with the idea of sewing for the public again, but with one in college and two teenage boys that played baseball, she once again struggled with finding the time.

In May of 2024, Crystal and her youngest son, JT, were in a head on collision. She knew God had spared their lives for a reason, and it was at that moment that she decided she was going to stop making excuses and find the time to share her passion for sewing with others. Just two weeks after her accident, Kennedy James Designs became official.

The business has since turned into a family effort. Crystal and Rollins do the design work, Crystal sees it all, Rollins and JT paint-one in oils and the other in pencil and acrylics, and her husband and son, Grady, do all the wood working. We are so excited to where this adventure takes us!