What do you get when you have one husband, one wife, and a historic partnership? You have good culture-shifting news, and that’s exactly what Rick and Yolanda Williams have delivered with their latest joint business venture. The Detroit-based husband and wife duo and creative entrepreneurs of DISTINCT LIFE and CREAM Blends have officially announced their partnership for the revitalization of the historic Hotel Saint Regis Detroit and will serve as Creative Directors.
“Detroit is packed with such a rich creative culture and historic relevance and we are excited to continue adding to that narrative through our relationship with Hotel Saint Regis,” read Rick and Yolanda Williams’ press release statement, received by ESSENCE. The Hotel Saint Regis is located in the New Center area of Detroit and has been praised for its timeless contribution to the celebration of Black entertainment. Previous guests have included Martin Luther King Jr, Aretha Franklin, Andrew Young, Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, DMX, and Pharrell to name a few.
The collaboration with Hotel Saint Regis was conceived by their 8-year relationship with Christos Moisides, co-owner of Hotel Saint Regis. Back in 2013, Rick and Christos collaborated on the YouTube series WatchLOUD’s Detroit Rubber that featured Burn Rubber, a successful sneaker store co-founded by Rick.
Together, the married couple has a wide range of experience across communications, marketing, design, brand development, and content creation – all of which will be strategically used during their partnership with the hotel. Both Rick and Yolanda will spearhead the hotel’s activation including the BLVD Lounge, exterior patio, 350-person event space, a lobby gift shop as well as a number of recently renovated DISTINCT LIFE-inspired hotel rooms.
As part of the partnership announcement, which kicks off the commemoration of Juneteenth, the DISTINCT LIFE gift shop will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, June 19th. According to the press release, the shop will feature DISTINCT LIFE exclusive Detroit Crewnecks and T-shirts as well as CREAM BLENDS, a natural skincare product brand that is owned by Yolanda & Rick Williams and will be the exclusive place to purchase in the city.