For Immediate Release s457

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rachelle’s Island, Inc. Contact: Rachelle Jamerson-Holmes 891 Middleton St. NE Orangeburg, SC 29115 Phone: 803-531-6226 Fax: 888-895-3166 Email: [email protected] Website: www.TheeMatriarch.com

Orangeburg, SC Native and Entrepreneur Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Boutique and Grand Unveiling of Bed and Breakfast

Orangeburg, SC (September 10, 2012) – Thursday, September 20th, Orangeburg, SC native and entrepreneur, Rachelle Jamerson-Holmes, celebrates the 20th anniversary of her boutique, Rachelle’s Island, along with the grand unveiling of her premier bed and breakfast, Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast, Meeting and Special Events Venue.

Join the celebration! From Thursday, September 20th to Sunday, September 23rd, Rachelle’s Island and Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast – located in the heart of Historic Downtown Orangeburg – will celebrate the 20th anniversary and grand unveiling. The celebration weekend will include a ribbon cutting, dedication, military tribute, open house tours, live music, special guest authors and door prizes.

As the celebration highlights, Jamerson-Holmes who is a fashion designer by trade, embodies entrepreneurship. Ask her about how she got her start in fashion design and she’ll tell you about her grandmother, Lillie J. Limehouse. As she traveled with her grandmother, who was a home economist with the 1890 Extension Service at South Carolina State University, she learned to sew and design at the early age of 6.

She says, “Learning garment construction, etiquette, table setting, food preparation, traveling and the art of ‘get up and go’ were everyday activities in our family.”

Continuing the lessons learned from her grandmother, Jamerson-Holmes is a graduate of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where her design prowess received recognition. In 1990, she was named the Hennessy Cognac Designer of the Year and over the years her work has been featured in the New York Times, Ebony Magazine, Upscale Magazine, BET Screen Scene and the Arsenio Hall show to name a few.

While in New York, Jamerson-Holmes produced a fashion extravaganza entitled “The Hottest Show Off Broadway.” This show ultimately brought her back to her native Orangeburg. She says, “I brought the show home to Orangeburg for three years and after the 1992 show, I opened the store for 90 days so clients could purchase my designs.” She is, of course, speaking of Rachelle’s Island, the boutique that is this year celebrating its 20th anniversary. “I’ve been here ever since,” she says, smiling.

Committed to provide Orangeburg with a relaxing and exotic boutique led Jamerson-Holmes to purchase a house in the heart of downtown to use as the storefront of Rachelle’s Island. Through Rachelle’s Island, she traced out her desire to establish a boutique with a unique island atmosphere, and eventually the store grew to include a brick and mortar travel agency, Island Cruises and Tours, as well as an island themed gourmet deli. In 1995, Rachelle's Island was the first downtown Orangeburg merchant to receive the Master Merchant Award from the SC Downtown Development Association. While the boutique allowed her to continue her design work and the travel agency enable her to assist folks as they fulfilled dreams and traveled the world, Jamerson-Holmes sought more. She became invested in the revitalization of downtown Orangeburg, eventually becoming president of the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association in 1998.

Ever the entrepreneur, Jamerson-Holmes continued her vision of Rachelle’s Island by purchasing the two houses adjacent the boutique in 2001. “Ambience is very important to me and the old homes have a story to tell,” says Jamerson-Holmes.

Directly investing in the economic resurgence of downtown, she began designing and developing Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast in September of 2007. In the 5 years since, she and her husband, Fred Holmes of Charleston, SC, have restored the 100 year old home to epitomize the charm and elegancy of southern hospitality. Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast – “Where Southern Charm and Hospitality Meet in the heart of historic downtown Orangeburg, SC.”

Today, Thee Matriarch features luxury bedroom suites, which are themed to appreciate significant matriarchal figures. Additionally, Jamerson and Holmes, a chef by trade, have incorporated a dinning and catering service that includes a variety of tantalizing cuisines, ranging from Thee Matriarch’s signature Low Country Shrimp and Garlic Cheese Grits to their World Famous Raspberry Pork and Island Tea.

Through Thee Matriarch Bed & Breakfast and Rachelle’s Island, Jamerson-Holmes lives entrepreneurships. And she has been recognized for her work. Jamerson-Holmes received the National Council of Negro Women Service Award, and in 1999, the Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. named her the National Minority Female Entrepreneur of the Year and BB&T presented her with their Trailblazer Award. And, more recently, she and her husband were featured in Success From Home magazine in August 2007 and in Your Business At Home magazine in October 2008.

Moving forward, Rachelle’s Island will celebrate Southern culture by carrying a line of local accessories and gifts, to include Rachelle’s Signature Bath & Body products, home-blended spices, featured southern authors and more. Additionally, Thee Matriarch will continue forward as Orangeburg’s premier bed and breakfast. Easily accessible from I-95, US 301 and I-26, it will also play host to meetings and events for a variety of businesses and organizations, as well as offer catering services to Orangeburg and surrounding areas.

Innkeepers Rachelle and Fred invite you to join the celebrations! Events includes: a ribbon-cutting and blessing ceremony, accompanied by complimentary savory bites and beverages at 12:00 noon on Thursday, September 20th followed by open house tours until 7:00pm; also open house tours with savory bites and beverages on Friday and Saturday 10:00am until 7:00pm, September 21st and 22nd; and a Gospel/Jazz Sunday Brunch, September 23rd from 11:00am – 4:00pm.

To learn more about Jamerson-Holmes or her entrepreneurial efforts, or for a complete schedule of celebration events, visit www.TheeMatriarch.com, call 803-937-4271 or visit the Inn at ac1170 Fischer St. Orangeburg, SC 29115. And be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.