Black Girl Magic… Part III

I’ve really enjoyed putting this series together. Learning about these ladies has been a real joy. They make me want to step my game all the way up. Sometimes you need to see someone else’s journey to help you along with your own. I’m a firm believer that dreams really do come true. Some may need a little work to execute. But there’s a saying that anything in life worth having is worth working for. Which brings me to the next hard working queen.

Rachel King, Fashion Merchandising Major at U.T. Martin, Flight Operations Coordinator, is the brand owner of patchwRk. And no that’s not a typo. Lol! She established patchwRk in 2017 but had been sitting on the name/idea since late 2015, early 2016. She saved the name in her phone. She knew she liked this particular name because it had “RK” in it which are her initials and it involved patches. She has always been obsessed with statement pieces and has always loved jackets. So Rachel decided to put two of her favorite things together and perhaps make herself a few statement jackets embellished with patches just to check the temperature of how people would respond.

She posted the first couple of pictures in September 2017 and her idea took off at full throttle. From that moment she had to put a name to the idea which was the seed that was already planted. The name that was saved in her phone began to bloom at that very moment. After experiencing a few bumps in the road Rachel had a round table discussion with a group of women entrepreneurs. They encouraged her and kept her grounded which helped her tremendously. At that point she knew she needed to take complete control of her vision, stop wondering around aimlessly and set some clear boundaries and goals. She felt that something was needed to be created, a simple design that would allow her to still express her creativity. She didn’t want to be deflated with customization type projects regularly. There birthed the patchwRk “JUNT” hoodies.

She made a prototype for herself just to observe what the response would be. The end results blew her away. JUNT took off like a rocket and she decided to put her all into it. It represents Memphis and it’s a statement piece which appeals to her vision and character. It embodies Rachel’s creative flair with endless styles and color combinations that the foundation of patchwRk was built upon. A foundation that she created for herself and for the entire city. It’s demanding as well as time consuming. To her though there is no better feeling than to see complete strangers rock something that she put her time, love, joy and finesse into. Rachel told me that the doors are wide open and she’s riding this thing to the wheels fall off!! You can find Rachel on Instagram at Patchwrk_rach. You can also purchase her JUNT clothing line at The COMPLX (2234 Lamar Avenue). Or on her Etsy store: patchwRk. I commend Rachel for all the hard work that she puts into her brand. It shows amazing character and I, myself, am proud to rock my patchwRk design. In the words of Jeezy she puts on for her city!