In today’s world of online shopping, it’s easy for customers to bring their favorite stores to their doorsteps. 
Stella and Dot is a jewelry and accessories company capitalizing on this in-home shopping trend —  but not through a computer screen. 
Founded by CEO Jessica Herrin, San Francisco, California-based Stella and Dot thrives on sales made through trunk shows, which consist of a few hours of trying on jewelry and getting suggestions from stylists, hosted at customers’ homes. The hostess is paired with a Stella and Dot stylist, and the stylist brings in the jewelry and refreshments for the evening’s festivities. 
The goal is to have the hostess’ guests leave with a purchased product. Even if an order is made online, the purchase is paired with a stylist from the customer’s area. 
To give women the opportunity to attend a trunk show without being invited by a hostess, star stylist Jennifer Hamilton and associate stylist Christie Baron will be hosting a Spring Rally on Jan. 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at La Madeleine in Perkins Rowe. The Baton Rouge-based stylists not only will show new jewelry but will discuss the opportunity to become a Stella and Dot stylist. 
Hamilton has been a stylist for about 2 1/2 years, and in March 2014, she decided to make Stella and Dot her full-time job. She has become a team leader and a sponsor to many new stylists, including Baron. 
Baron became a stylist in May 2014 — quickly applying after attending her first trunk show.  
“When I went to my first trunk show, I basically bought over $500 worth of jewelry because I fell in love with it,” Baron said. 
Baron said to become a stylist, she paid a $199 starter fee and received a $350 credit to acquire products for her upcoming trunk shows. Some months, Stella and Dot offers a $450 credit to stylists to order products.   
“Many customers become hostesses because they want everything, so they’ll buy to support their friends there and then they’ll have their own trunk show,” Hamilton said.  
In the most recent lookbook, or catalog, Stella and Dot has launched the “V” icon to show a piece is versatile. This means parts of the jewelry can be clipped off or clipped on to create multiple different looks out of one purchase. 
One example is the ear jacket pieces. The earrings come with two studs and an ear jacket, a piece of jewelry that can be attached to an earring to make it appear larger. Hamilton said each stud can be worn with the ear jacket or the studs can be worn alone — basically like getting three pieces for one price. 
“[Stella and Dot] is up to date with the trends [and] extremely versatile,” Hamilton said. “So many of our pieces can be worn so many different ways.”
Along with versatility, Stella and Dot offers engravable lockets and bracelets to create one-of-a-kind items. 
Baron said all the jewelry can be worn dressed up or dressed down. Both women agreed that Stella and Dot can be adaptable to every age and style. Hamilton said the products are timeless and catering to everyone. 
But most importantly, Stella and Dot brings an at-home shopping experience many other accessory companies don’t offer. 
“Being a stylist, I’m not just selling the jewelry,” Baron said. 
As a Stella and Dot stylist, Baron said she’s able to socialize and meet new people while earning some extra cash. She helps other women find items to add to a new outfit they bought or the finishing touch to an outfit for an event. 
Hamilton said Stella and Dot also creates jewelry to benefit autism and breast cancer foundations. Stylists can donate proceeds from the trunk shows they organize to select causes, as well. 
The Baton Rouge teams also have gotten involved on the University’s campus by organizing trunk shows for sorority houses, Baron said. They then donate some of the proceeds to the sorority’s philanthropy. 
Hamilton said the Baton Rouge community has embraced Stella and Dot and seems to be enjoying the product. She said while the area’s number of stylists has increased, there’s still room for that number to grow. 
You can reach Meg Ryan on Twitter @The_MegRyan.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Charles Champagne

A gold Rebel cluster necklace is displayed Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, in the form of a trunk show.