The Peach Shoppe

It’s A WHOLE VIBE

By Natalie Downey

A new PEACHY vibe is making the streets of Columbus more colorful and fun, as a local designer finds ways to empower and inspire the community, one t-shirt at a time.

Rachel Kelly’s passion for crafting is evident in the way her eyes light up when the topic arises. It's easy to see she takes great pride in the movement she's inspired. This is not just an apparel company, but a whole vibe.

Though creating unique pieces has always been a hobby for her, Rachel’s career as a designer began in 2014 when she got her vinyl machine. She started making vinyl monogram decals as gifts for her friends and coworkers for a year before she decided to expand on her craft, experiment with creating new items, and dream about starting a business.

When Rachel started making vinyl T-shirts, she found that her passion for crafting grew. "I'd get off work and it was the first thing I thought about," she remembers. "I was making t-shirts for everyone. Everything that happened, I was like, "We need a t-shirt for that," she recalls, laughing.

In 2017, Rachel got her business license and launched her website and official brand of trendy apparel called The Peach Shoppe. She expanded her style when she added embroidered items to her shop, creating monogrammed bags and baby clothes which she sold in local craft markets. As momentum picked up and Rachel’s business took off, her small-business dreams began to come to life.

Born and raised in Columbus, GA, Rachel is a bona fide southern girl, and the name for her shop was inspired by her love for her home state and all things Southern, from sweet tea to juicy, home-grown peaches.

In 2020, things shifted. A self-proclaimed “People Person,” Rachel became bored with her full-time job in the corporate world when the pandemic required social distancing. “When I just sat in an office,” she remembers, “I didn’t feel alive.” No longer able to interact face to face with clients, Rachel began daydreaming about leaving her job and returning full time to her passion: crafting. As she felt the spark of creativity return to her, she was driven to try something new and return to her brand.

Though Rachel worked hard for several years to see her creative dreams become a reality, she hit a lull in 2019 when she sold her embroidery machine and decided to reconsider the focus of her business. Embroidery just wasn’t for her, and while she still wanted to create, she found herself wondering what her next move would be.

In October 2020, with the purchase of a sublimation machine (a type of high-tech printer for transferring designs onto new objects), Rachel saw the possibilities for her creative expression expand, as she began experimenting with new printing techniques.

Back in creative mode, and finally working with a design technique she loved, Rachel spent her lunch breaks at her job reaching out to connect with local businesses about selling her items in their shops. She began to look back into selling at local markets and got her business license renewed.

One weekend in November, Rachel sold her handcrafted items at three different craft markets and found herself right in the middle of where she wanted to be. While creating t-shirts, cups, and accessories, she says she “Fell in love harder than I had before for this small business world, and creativity.”

Photo Taken by Bryanna Lynn

Finding herself surrounded by other inspirational local crafters, Rachel realized she had what it would take to make her small business dreams a reality. “I can do this!” she told herself. And she set out to make it happen.

As Rachel poured her soul into The Peach Shoppe, her persistence paid off, and interest grew for her hand-crafted items. By December of 2020 she had signed two contracts to have her items in local businesses, and formulated a business plan. In 2021, Rachel decided to finally take the leap with her small business, and January 29 was her last day in corporate America. Rachel stepped boldly out of the office and into her craft space, ready to put all of her energy into the business she had so carefully created in the same way she carefully creates each item in her shop.

Though stepping away from the corporate world was scary, Rachel knew she had to take the risk if she wanted to see how far she could go. Looking back, she has no regrets. “It has been a fantastic ride!” she laughs.

Today, Rachel’s items are sold in shops and markets around the Columbus area. Her style is not just a brand, it’s an entire vibe that resonates the spirit of a creative dreamer, unapologetically believing in her ideas. She collaborates with local businesses to design custom t-shirts for them and has organized her business to present a consistent brand to the community. Sassy and unapologetic, The Peach Shoppe brand is recognizable, as each item is uniquely hand-made by Rachel in her one-of-a-kind style. “It’s an apparel brand focused on the individual item,” she explains. “Each item starts plain and I put some ‘Rachel pizazz’ on them.”

Rachel’s goal is to inspire her customers to “feel empowered, original, and beautiful.” Her items are made in a wide variety of sizes and styles, with the hope that she can offer something for everyone. Last year, she launched The Peach Shoppe’s sister shop, The Rotten Peach, also an apparel shop, but with an edge. Her widely popular “31 Days of Horror” last Halloween, in which she revealed new Halloweenrelated items each day, inspired her to launch this new shop. T-shirts and items sold at The Rotten Peach feature a slightly darker tone with a delightfully twisted sense of humor.

More than anything, Rachel is grateful for the response of the community and the support it has shown her. “This is an amazing community,” she says, “It’s so supportive of small businesses.”

Rachel’s success is a story she wants everyone to be inspired by. “This can happen for you,” she says, encouraging those who dream of starting a small business to go for it. “You have to put in the work and it will pay off.”

Rachel Kelly

Owner, The Peach Shoppe

For Rachel, her hard work and relentless dreaming is paying off. Her items add a splash of color to the sidewalks of our town as people show off her unique creations, showing the world a fun way to make a statement, and reminding us that dreams do come true.

Updates and information about where to find Rachel’s latest items can be found on her website www.thepeachshoppe.com and on her Facebook and Instagram pages. Facebook @thepeachchoppe2, Insta @thepeachshoppe1, and the her newest brand The Rotten Peach @therottenpeach1.