meet Debora Gomes .. the Brazilian beauty by way of Paris

One could never say that I write about politics or for that matter any hot button current events but as luck would have it or maybe fate, today is all about Debora Gomes. As you will read she is the voice of young women in a business that has long been associated and riddled with sexual innuendo as well as diversity or lack thereof. This will not be a rallying cry against pro or con but rather an opportunity to read about those 2 topics that were addressed by Debora in the course of this interview. 

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Okay … with that said and out of the way let’s talk about the aspiring model by the name of Debora Gomes. She is of the exotic rare bird species that once was glorified by the likes of Vreeland and Avedon for the pages of Vogue. Today with fashion being stuck in this sort of cookie cutter mode, both clothes and models, she will hopefully break the malaise and become a shining star as did those who preceded her … think Donyale Luna, China Machado, Peggy Dillard and Naomi Sims…. Not Campbell.

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As I have stated here before, the internet has surely made my world so much smaller in ways I could never have imagined growing up in the business of fashion. It is through my, as one dear friend says, my “tentacles” that I was able to cross paths with this young beauty. 

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What strikes me after having read the replies to my questions is that here is a young woman from another generation who sees fashion from such a distinctly different perspective than I; she cites those of her generation as role models and inspirations and it is rare for me to encounter such an individual. Her vision and words may be of the moment but her career aspirations and dreams speak to the roots of the business.

So with no more blah blah blah on my part ... here is Debora in her own words……

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Jeffrey Felner: Let’s talk about your life/career up to this point or in other words can you give us a brief history of you?

Deborah Gomes: I was born in a small state named Paraiba in Brazil, in nordeste and at the age of 16 years old I received an invitation from a headhunter to go to a model competition in São Paulo. I traveled there by myself and that started my model career. I did a few jobs, the competition in Brazil is hard and I was still really young to handle this market. My career really started when I was selected  for the Elle fashion preview in Rio de Janeiro. It’s one of the most famous shows in Brazil and i was competing with some top models like Lais Ribeiro and Isabel Fontana.  After that my agency decided that China would be my first international trip to gain more experience before a move to Europe and USA. There, I did the Shanghai Fashion Week and few campaigns but to be honest, my skin color was a big problem for Chinese market. During a fashion week casting I met my boyfriend who’s from France, and he advised me to move to Paris because he was sure that I could do great work in Paris and that my career blow up fast. I went back to Brazil for 3 weeks to tell my family that I will move to Paris and get ready for this new exciting challenge. By June I traveled to Paris and did the PFW “Haute Couture” right away after arriving, then PFW “ready to wear” and I had the chance to snag amazing shows like Issey Miyake at the Grand Palais. After this show my photos from the show were seen in Vogue Paris which is totally amazing.

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JF: What is your most prized possession and why?

DG: My Brain, because knowledge is power, and by using my brain in a good way I can have everything I want and reach all my goals.

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JF: The hot button topics these days are sexual harassment and diversity especially within the modeling business. Can we speak to either or both of these topics and if you could share any experiences?

DG:We know that models are judged by their appearance all the time, and lately the media is emphasizing more and more the sensuality… several photographers like to shoot models naked and the power of Instagram nowadays to get more followers which pushes models to shoot naked. Also a lot of supermodels do it and show their bodies like a trophy.  When I arrived in Paris I received lot of proposal to shoot naked. It surprised me because in a city of fashion I was expecting more editorial type shoots rather than Playboy type shoots. I just accepted once, for the book project of a famous photographer François Berthier. About diversity…  it’s good that the media is starting to  care a little bit to make all the types of woman feel beautiful and confident about themselves.  Coming from Nordeste in Brazil, my skin color is “café” color so I arrive to the market at the right time. But there is still controversy about skin color and diversity. A black model was rejected after she was booked for a show in past London fashion week because the designer said that the “quota” of black model was filled!! We all know that deep inside too many people still prefer “Barbie girl” type.

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 JF: If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would they be and why?

DG: Gisele Bündchen … because she is an amazing woman and she gives 100% of herself in what she does. She is an example for all models and it would be my pleasure to share a dinner with her as friend to experience her truly personality and energy when there is no camera.

Jared Leto ... Since I was really young I was his fan, he is the full  package,  great voice, great actor and also did really good as model for Gucci campaign. The best is that he's built career, he wasn't born rich like the Kardashians, and for sure he would be good dinner company.

Antoine, my boyfriend, my love … He is not that famous, but he is the biggest support that I have in my career and in my personal life. When you really love somebody you want to give your best in everything and he is a huge piece of my motivation.  Of course, I already had lot of dinners with him but for sure he will be invited to this table.

Michael Jackson: The biggest pop star and most famous singer ever. He created things never seen before, unique songs and dance moves, he was unique, a one of a kind artist, the proof that you can be successful even when you’re black, such an inspiration to me also.

Paulo Coelho … I would invite him for sure and I really hope to meet someday. He is a literary phenomenon. I love to travel in my imagination while reading a really good book like the ones he writes but I also want to write my own books …. He inspires me to do it.

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JF: Let’s talk about Debora in 5 years; what’s the plan for the big picture? Your future? Your dreams?

DG: Unfortunately because of my career I'm living far away from my family and sometimes I'm sad about it. My dream is to do what I love and surrounded with the persons I love. I have a strong desire to succeed in my model career and I want to reach top 10 models ranking. By succeeding, I could help my family; invite them to Paris or NYC to visit me, as well as sometimes traveling back to Brazil for some holidays because I miss being there with them. Also, literature is one of my passions so I want to publish my books and do movies based on them. I have already written a full book in Portuguese so I need to translate in English and then find a publisher to make this happen.

Anyway I have many projects in mind but my main focus is my career as a model… at least for now.

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Happy Anniversary to ALCONE ... 65 and going strong

Many New Yorkers, especially of a certain age, will lament the fact that New York City has become homogenized or in other words the city has been cleaned up to such a large extent that it has lost some of its allure and a lot of its grit. One of things that has happened in the process is that the smaller retailer, often referred to as mom and pop stores, have all but evaporated from sight. The gentrification has left a trail of victims but there are some steadfast persevering retailers who have made the transition from the old New York to the new glossy version which includes online shopping.

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The upside to the survivors is that instead of being just local they have now become international and no longer dependent solely on foot traffic. Thank you INTERNET… which has unarguably changed the complexion of retailing on every level and in every conceivable category. Today it’s all about a brand that was once confined only to the cognoscenti of the theater world … thespians and hair and make up professionals. The brand is ALCONE and I tip my hat to a brand that has still retained a retail outlet in the heart of the theater district as well as expanded exponentially on the worldwide stage.

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So if you are looking for anything from lashes to eyeballs, from masks to mascara, from blood to brushes,  and just about everything and anything you might imagine to fill your makeup needs then you have indeed found the premier resource.  Just perusing their offerings will entertain and educate as to just how vast their world is and how equally encyclopedic the selection. 

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Think of Diana Vreeland who said  ... “give them what they never knew they wanted” and I will add “what they never knew existed” when it comes to this universe of makeup needs. So now in the words of the founders’ descendants here is ALCONE who is about to celebrate their 65^th anniversary this coming month….

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Jeffrey Felner: Can you give us a brief history of your brand up to this point?

Maria Stewart: Alcone Company was founded in 1952 by Alvin and Harriet Cohen. Alvin’s parents owned a pharmacy on West 20th street which also served as the first location for Alcone Company. At the time, they specialized in stage makeup and theatrical supplies, which we still provide to numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. However the professional industry we serve now has grown to include all avenues of production - television, film fashion, art. So since its origin, Alcone Company has grown to become both distributors of professional beauty brands and special effects makeup as well as our eponymous products. Even though we still predominantly cater to the professional industry, the everyday consumer and makeup fanatic multiplies daily, which is why we created Limelight by Alcone. Limelight is a direct sales company which allows an individual to sell our most popular products and receive a commission for their sales.

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Jeffrey Felner: What is your assessment of the beauty business of today as opposed to when you began this journey?

Maria Stewart: Today it is a multibillion dollar industry that is seemingly unstoppable. When we (the Mallardi’s) began this journey into the world of Alcone and professional makeup, there were not nearly as many makeup brands on the market as there are now. Social media and the internet has changed all that for us and has remarkably us and the beauty business overall. “Everyday people” now know about professional makeup products and the demand has just skyrocketed. All it takes is one “influencer” to mention a product, often one that we’ve sold for many years, and then it flies off the shelves and we literally cannot restock that item fast enough. There is also no warning when this will happen, so it can shock the system a bit, especially for small, independent manufacturers.

What’s interesting about this is that professional makeup brands have traditionally not used any kind of fancy packaging and certainly no gimmicks. It was just great products in simple jars that makeup artists repotted to customize their own palettes for their kit. This kept costs down for everyone, the brands and the artists. So it’s amazing that in the beauty industry where there are so many product options, we find that die-hard makeup lovers/enthusiasts want authentic professional makeup. In fact, we often get product developers in our store, or at the industry trade shows that come looking for ideas … sic rip off. 

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Jeffrey Felner: If you could rewrite any part of your history what would it be and why?

Maria Stewart: For the most part I think that everything worked out the way it was supposed to as far Alcone’s history. That said …  looking back it would have been great if we had invested in commercial property in the NYC years ago - rents have just skyrocketed in New York City and many of the cool, boutique type stores are gone and have been replaced by huge corporate chains. When looking back on our little store on 19th Street that we acquired in the 90’s, Chelsea was not yet on the rise and I just wished we had invested more in that area at the time. We were the only ones bringing outside foot traffic to that street and now it is one of the most expensive locations, residential or commercial, in all of Manhattan. Still, we are happy and proud to have been (and still be) a part of NYC’s community of small businesses with unique shops.

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Jeffrey Felner: Can you share your most prized memory or collaboration during the brand’s lifetime and why is it so prized?

Maria Stewart: Blue Man Group will always have a special place in Alcone’s heart. This was a situation where three complete strangers walked into our office and pitched their performance art concept to my brother Vincent and my sister Mary. They said their concept involved blue makeup, bald caps, drums and catching things in their mouths. This really intrigued Vincent and Mary who then searched high and low for whatever products might fit their needs. Vincent actually just gave them the products for free (especially since they had shopping bags filled with cream cheese and bananas-Vincent assumed they were struggling but turns out that those were actually props used for the show.) To this day, Vincent oversees the integrity of their signature blue shade. The reason this collaboration is so prized for us is because at the time, no one had any idea of how huge the Blue Man Group would become. We just embraced the project because it was an opportunity to help these artists fulfill their vision, which is always our goal. Now they are so ingrained in American artistic culture, that originated right here in New York City, and we are truly proud and grateful that they chose Alcone to be a part of this amazing journey.

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Jeffrey Felner: What is your opinion of online selling vs. brick and mortar...?  Upsides? Downsides? Why?

Maria Stewart: There are many upsides of selling online- first and foremost the ability to reach huge audiences in an instant, at their convenience, in the comfort of their homes, 24 hours a day. Part of our mission as a company is to make our products available to people outside the industry, who love high quality at a great value, and selling online has allowed us to do that.

The downside of course, is that you can only see the product on a digital image, which doesn’t allow one to know the texture or color payoff, which is critical to buying makeup products especially for professional artists, but also for today’s savvy consumers. So we find that most people who buy online are most often engaging in repurchase of items they have tried or used before.

Brick and mortar is still, in my opinion, the most important channel for selling makeup. For us specifically, it allows our customers to experience the products as well as get personalized recommendations from our pro artist staff, who are all working makeup artists in the industry. Our store location is really quite unique in that it’s always been a place for artists to gather, share ideas and discuss different approaches to the challenges of a particular project. They’re encouraged to play and give the products a test run before their makeup gig so they can go away confident that the products they purchase are going to achieve their clients’ desired results. So it’s a bit of an interactive environment so to speak.

The same with our “consumer” customers who are looking for products for themselves. For them, the opportunity to have one-on-one time with a professional makeup artist and get advice is much more personal than online shopping because they’re getting real solutions to their beauty questions. That’s where brick n mortar is the really the star when it comes to professional makeup.

The downside for us from a business perspective are the rising costs in rent if you want to operate out of a storefront in a popular neighborhood or even expand our retail presence. Being a distributor for professional products means that we sell high quality products to a wider audience but at affordable pricing. In a way, we are a “little engine that could” being a small family run business competing with a luxury market. But still, we hold true to our heart, and are happy to have a hub where our customers can still go to, shop and interact with others.

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www.alconemakeup.com/buying-guides