Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica DeBato.
Hi Erica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
At a very young age, I remember being obsessed with fashion. I gave my mother such a hard time from the age of self-consciousness when she wanted to dress me for events because I wanted to style myself in bold colors and patterns. My Daddy always stepped in between my mother and my colorful way of expressing myself via my wardrobe. My outlet for the images constantly in my head was sketching models. When sketching the clothing, I would dress these models in extravagant pieces and shoes from imagination and style their hair and accessories as I saw fit. A lot of my inspiration came from frontline Carnival outfits because at a young age, I honestly believed that they were depictions of angels. It truly didn’t matter where I was when inspiration hit. Whether it was church or class, I just wanted to draw gorgeous women in what I now know to be ‘couture fashion’.
I received my first pair of heels at the age of 12 and it’s a day I will never forget. Rushing home to put on my favorite dress, I finally saw myself in the mirror as one of my sketches for the first time. That day, my hobby turned into an obsession. In high school, I chose the career path of cosmetology and competed in the Bronner Brother’s Hair Show before I graduated. I was great at it, but it wasn’t as exciting as fashion so I decided to really pursue manifesting those sketches into reality. My first job was at the age of 16 at retail store at the mall near my house. I could hardly wait to turn 16 to be able to apply. Wearing heels to work every single day, I was finally living my dream of being surrounded by innumerable amounts of clothing and accessories and having glamorous women to look up to other than my mother whose classy style I had come to idolize. Being able to take fashion risks and implement her class and grace, I was able to truly find my own style. This was necessary to my rapid growth in the industry. Before long, I was promoted and moved up to a high fashion store, consistently climbing the fashion ladder until I decided to start my OWN line while working on my Bachelor’s degree at Prairie View A&M University. Fashion shows, pop up shops and creating one of a kind pieces became my life and I became introduced to the makeup world to cut my costs with my models. Little did I know, it would lead me to yet another outlet for the fashion explosion that was consistently happening in my head. Seeing fashion as art and seeing makeup brushes as my tools, I quickly became enamored with them both. Unfortunately, production of pieces couldn’t keep up in demand for my extravagant pieces so I chose finishing my degree and closed the boutique. It was my first gut punch of entrepreneurship.
I made a career change to multi-level marketing. It allowed me to learn leadership, money/time management, creativity, people skills and gave me the gift of traveling to see the world while expanding and adding massive value to my network,. Even at meetings, events, conferences and trips, I would NEVER underdress. Coordinating and styling others came naturally and people often came to me for fashion advice. Fashion wasn’t something you saw on me, it was everything IN me. The company took a nose dive and declared bankruptcy after I had built a team of over 600 people in 4 countries while earning over 6 figures of profit. I suffered my second gut punch of entrepreneurship.
Having my new career rug-pulled, I decided to go back into fashion but was picked up by prominent makeup lines. My work became recognized by companies like Bobbi Brown and Tom Ford who honed my talents and looped me back into the fashion world by way of editorial shoots. At this time, I decided it was time to jump back into sewing, designing, creating, styling and allowing that inner little girl to begin her sketches again. I revamped DeBonair by Anthony Renee and gave it a new name: The Alpha Femme Boutique. Under this name, I plan to show every woman that the term ‘Alpha’ doesn’t necessarily have to have a negative connotation. An “Alpha Femme” is any woman who lives on her own terms and creates her own reality without compromising her integrity. She runs the show because she created it… and she dresses the part of course. Whether her show is ‘fun stay at home mom’, ‘bold entrepreneur’, ‘shy teacher’, or ‘eccentric administrator’, she is comfortable in her skin and choices while inspiring others to be as well.
The Alpha Femme Boutique is an online shopping haven for women who want to stand out from the everyday clothing that has become ‘fashion’. We carry pieces that can be styled for the hardest working women to wear comfortably and stylishly during their work and still turn heads at play. Incorporating an etiquette sector in 2022 that ensures the true Alpha Femme will be respectfully noticed in any environment in society, our brand will also provide women with the creative space and funds to further their dreams via a ‘scholarship/grant’ program. Through fashion do/don’t lessons, styling advice, makeup and wardrobing consults, events centered around fashion, style and etiquette, this boutique exists to assist any woman in manifesting the best version of herself.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggling as a dark toned woman in America with a Caribbean heritage, I learned very quickly that the fashion industry was not always passionate about celebrating beauty in the wide spectrum that is now becoming the norm. There were times where I felt I had no business in the industry, but God will not entrust talent or a vision to you without purpose. There are lessons I had to learn, self-talk I had to repeat, prayers I, at one point, were afraid weren’t being heard. There were snakes in the grass that posed as friends and business partners, stolen ideas, unethical practices that seemed to make others win big that I avoided because I was raised on integrity. There were long days and hard nights that make me want to quit and conform but there was a burning desire inside of me to break the generational curses I saw plague my bloodline. I knew I couldn’t leave this earth without at least carrying the torch my parents worked so hard to light into generational wealth so I continued to fight.
Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. There were tears, self-sabotage, days I asked myself if I truly had what it took. Creating, cultivating, borrowing/loans, growing, falling in love, choosing a 24/7 over a 9-5, up late nights and pushing early mornings just to see it flourish, skipping family outings or friends’ milestones just to make that ONE meeting that could change everything are a few struggles on the tip of the iceberg. Having it stripped away or fail is the true test of whether or not you were cut out to be an entrepreneur. It feels like your heart has been pulled out of your chest with no anesthesia. I did it twice. This third time is apparently the charm.
Despite suffering multiple personal setbacks just in the past year, I have persevered. Traumas such as the pandemic, losing the loved one I was named after who held my family together, a record freeze in Texas that stopped all businesses and devastated my city, two unexpected lay offs, severe health scares and a crushing heartbreak there really are no words for, I still continue to emerge victorious. The way to handle every challenge is to not let your highs be too high, nor your lows too low. Every problem has a solution, and more than likely, there is someone out there who survived it already. Leveling up takes a period of discomfort but I refuse to become comfortable. The opposite of courage is not cowardice; the opposite of courage is conformity. As long as I can remember, I have never conformed to any standards or societal ‘norms’. My goal is to translate that into the fashion industry and inspire other women to ditch conformity without compromising their integrity as well.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Professional Experience: – BA Marketing/MIS (Cum Laude honors)
– 14+ years in management/customer service in the fashion & beauty industry
– Licensed Broker (Texas)
– Network Executive (built and maintained large travel networks in 4 countries)
– 3 years Marketing Management
– Stylist & Principle Makeup Artist (Tom Ford/Bobbi Brown accredited)
– Seamstress/Stylist/Fashion Designer
I specialize in being professionally beautiful lol. I am most proud of the traits I got from my Daddy, whom I idolize as a mentor and best friend. These include my genuine compassion for others, intelligence, work ethic, tenacity and ability to adapt. I will always outwork you, even though I am grateful to be blessed with immense talents. Will Smith said, “You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple.’ I live, work and stay motivated by these words.
No matter what I have put my mind to, I have always gone great lengths to ensure that I’ve given it my best despite any challenges I may encounter. The road may change, but the destination (my goal) remains the same until it is manifested. I manifest nothing without God and what sets me apart from others is my faith in both God and humanity. I believe we are all inherently good, that we all try our best. But life has a way of challenging us, shrinking us, diminishing our ties with our source (God) and it causes us to get off course and isolate ourselves in our pain and insecurities. It’s important that we continue to see the best in each other, even when society tells us otherwise. ‘Competition’ is a deceitful illusion we created that only separates us from abundance and ultimately, success. What truly sets me apart is that I’m always willing to help others where I can, see the best in them, and give them the grace I would like to be given because I believe we are stronger and go further together.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am a true, complete nerd lol. My favorite show of all time was the X-Files, my favorite movie(s) are Lord of The Rings. That should tell you all you need to know. Since I was small, I have been obsessed with constellations, celestial bodies, the spiritual world and possibilities of intelligent life. When I am up late or need some background noise while I work, I listen to YouTube videos on things like ‘the atmospheres of terrestrial worlds’, ‘human consciousness’, ‘simulation theory’, ‘planet 9’, ‘energy/vibrations, ‘astronomical incidents’, FRB (Fast Radio Bursts)’, ‘string theory’, and ‘solfeggio frequencies’ to name a few. I have always had an excitement for things that are so much bigger than us displaying patterns that we couldn’t have affected as finite humans if we tried. To me, this is my proof of God’s existence. I am ALWAYS learning. Even if I don’t understand or necessarily agree with it, I am still willing to listen, research and understand. I am extremely conscious of the world past our physical eyes and I will continue to expose myself to the knowledge of my ancestors. Because quite frankly, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@thealphafemmeboutique.com
- Website: www.thealphafemmeboutique.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealphafemmeboutique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thealphafemmeboutique
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealalphafem
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdhHbeem/
Image Credits:
Jamaal Wynn
