Savannah’s Black Woman-Owned Embroidery Business Celebrates Opening During Black History Month

Patches Custom Embroidery Works celebrated its official grand opening during Black History Month.

Patches Custom Embroidery Works, owned by Zelonia Williams, is starting off February on a transformative note. The apparel business based in Savannah, Georgia, opened its first-ever retail store inside the city’s Oglethorpe Mall during Black History Month.

Williams envisioned her business as a way for women to feel inspired and creative. She started off at pop-up shops, but Williams decided to take the extra step to embark on her own storefront.

“I wanted to think of a business where women could creatively express themselves fashionably,” Williams told WOTC. “I saw Rihanna with a patch jacket on at an event, and I zoomed in, and I saw every single patch and what it meant, and it expressed so much in such a short amount of time.”

The venture did not come easy. Williams enrolled in workshops and classes to build her business, yet these investments did not yield the results she wanted. But she continued.

“My thing is if I still had that motivation within myself— just do it, get it done. And I figured it out. That being said, those obstacles didn’t stop me from bringing my vision to life today,” Williams said.

Her company offers an assortment of customized patches and clothing to fit anyone’s style. While specializing in camo and denim, Patches wants women to feel empowered through their apparel. Furthermore, Williams wants her items to send a message that speaks to shoppers.

“If you’re having a bad hair day, let it say that. If you have a jacket that says leave me alone, leave me alone,” she said. “If you have a jacket that says you are here to win, you are here to win, and you never know who’s to your right or your left that will receive that message.”

With expansion on the horizon, Patches is getting its start as a new franchise with Black women at the forefront.