• Women’s clothing and accessory retailer offers handmade designs; customizes, tailors and alters garments
• Owner and Detroit resident Jamie Williams received assistance with business planning and site selection from Motor City Match (MCM)
• Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) has helped 134 Detroit brick-and-mortar businesses open since the MCM program began

 DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and DEGC President and CEO Kevin Johnson joined city officials, community members and Jamie Williams, owner of Be:HER, to celebrate the grand opening of the women’s clothing and accessory boutique today.

Be:HER features women’s fashion – including shoes, clothing and accessories appropriate for both work and  night life – and will soon expand to include hair care and fragrance lines. Collaborating with industry leaders and community members, it provides locally manufactured goods and services. The boutique also offers customization and styling services, along with a “sip and shop” option that allows patrons to enjoy refreshments and unwind while they shop. Online shopping as well as in-store and curbside (contactless) pick-up is available. Williams says Be:HER aims to bring unique and affordable fashion options that accommodate all women.

“Motor City Match is helping bring the kinds of goods and services Detroit’s neighborhoods and commercial districts need to thrive and provide a sense of community,” said Mayor Duggan. “Be:HER is a great example of that in the city’s Morningside neighborhood. Jamie has launched a business that is inclusive and demonstrates her passion for the city in which she was born and raised. We’re so glad she chose to open her business in Detroit.”

Located at 15715 E. Warren Ave., Be:HER is a MCM Round 4 Business Plan and Round 6 Design track awardee, and worked with MCM on project development and site selection. It is also the recipient of the Michigan Small Business Restart program grant, administered by DEGC. The boutique is among several Black and woman-owned businesses receiving support from MCM, the City of Detroit and DEGC.

“We are offering a service that caters to women of all shapes and sizes looking to be fashionable and modest, with a component of sexy,” said Williams. “I want to bring value and pride to this community – where I grew up and currently live – with something beautiful. We hope to become trendsetters and an inspiration to other community members to continue taking action to improve our community. We are so grateful for programs like Motor City Match that have helped us with this dream and goal.”

Williams purchased the building in 2016, and said she considered it an eyesore to the community in which she lives. Wanting the chance to reinvest in and improve her community, she began the idea for her women’s fashion boutique.

Be:HER is one of 134 open brick-and-mortar businesses that have received support from MCM. More than 80 percent of all MCM businesses are minority-owned, 71 percent are women-owned and 64 percent are owned by Detroit residents. The program continues to have a significant, positive impact on Detroit’s small business community, including:

• Over 1,000 jobs have been created as a result of open MCM businesses
• $9.5M has been awarded in cash grants through MCM and Motor City Re-Store, which has leveraged $45.6M in additional investment into Detroit’s neighborhoods
• Nearly 300 additional home-based and mobile businesses have started or expanded with the help of Motor City Match
• More than a dozen MCM brick and mortar businesses are expected to open in 2022.

Be:HER has also received support from Build Institute, ProsperUS, Michigan Women Forward, ProsperHer, the Accounting Aid Society, TechTown, and the Detroit Homecoming East Warren Community Association.

Learn more about Be:HER at beherdetroit.com.

About Motor City Match

Motor City Match is a partnership between the City of Detroit, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the Economic Development Corporation of the City of Detroit, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Competitive financial assistance is supported by a broad partnership of financial institutions, corporations, and agencies. DEGC leads Detroit’s business retention, attraction, and economic development initiatives. It is dedicated to inclusion, equity, and access to economic opportunity. Follow DEGC and MCM on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. www.degc.org, www.motorcitymatch.com

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