Charleston, By Design

By now, we hope you’ve seen our latest print issue of Fig Magazine. If you haven’t, we suggest
you grab a copy, head downtown to The Palmetto Row Collective, and have every business
owner there autograph it. Trust us—they’re all going places. And Jaeron Holmes of The Original
Charleo® Co. is one of those rising stars.
For Holmes, the birth of Charleo® came from a simple realization. “Charleston deserved a brand
that truly belonged to Charleston,” he says. “Too often, I saw generic souvenir apparel that could
have come from anywhere. I wanted to create something locals could wear with pride and
visitors could take home as an authentic piece of the city. What started in 2013 as a small apparel
idea has grown into a lifestyle brand inspired by Charleston’s neighborhoods, history, culture,
and the people who make this city special.”
And we love it. In fact, the mission of Charleo® is so closely aligned with the mission of Fig—to
highlight and celebrate the small, local businesses that make our city special—that we can’t help
but celebrate it, too. “Our mission,” says Holmes, “is to celebrate Charleston through original
design and quality apparel while creating products that locals are proud to wear every day.”
“We’ve been in business since 2013, designing everything from signature apparel and
accessories to collectible pieces that tell Charleston’s story,” he adds. “Every collection is
created with the goal of giving people something that feels authentic—not just another tourist
souvenir.”
The resulting merchandise is lively, creative, and unmistakably Charleston. Holmes says one of
his favorite moments comes from watching customers discover the hidden detail beneath the
brim of one of Charleo®’s signature Cap with the Map™ hats. He loves “watching someone’s
reaction when they flip over one of our Cap with the Map™ hats for the first time and discover
an actual map of Charleston printed beneath the brim. It’s become one of those signature ‘Wow!’
moments that people remember.”
Holmes knows he has an opportunity to build something special. “People often assume we’re
just another clothing company, but we’re actually building something much bigger,” he says.
“Every product starts with an original idea, and many of our designs are trademarked or
developed as proprietary concepts. We invest heavily in creating products that simply don’t exist
anywhere else.”
So yes, head downtown and pay Holmes a visit at The Palmetto Row Collective. Browse the
shelves, flip over a Cap with the Map™, and discover why The Original Charleo® Co. is helping
redefine what it means to bring home a piece of Charleston. After all, the best souvenirs don’t
just remind you where you’ve been—they help tell the story of the place itself.

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