Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Prato.
Hi Melissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I moved to Miami at the age of 12. Growing up, I have always had a passion for fashion, I would customize’s my barbie’s clothes with scraps of fabrics that my grandma would have laying around the house. As I got older, I found myself gravitating towards clothes that were different and unique. Friends, family and even social media followers always ask me to style them or to tell them where I buy my clothes.
I always dreamt of opening a clothing boutique because I know that I can select and carry unique pieces. Truthfully, my fears have kept this project as a seed inside of me for so long. During the pandemic, my younger sister “Amandine” fearlessly launched her baking business, at just 16 years old she was promoting her brand “Sweets by Amandine”, getting orders, organizing, testing and tasting recipes. To put it simply, she had no fears. Her lack of fear, her dedication and enthusiasm for her passion truly watered my seed. After many pep talks in the mirror, I convinced myself to move forward with my idea. From there, “Shop at Amandine” was born. Named after the fearless 16 years old who inspired it all.
I began to conduct research, study the market and define my lane. Although I never professionally studied fashion, I knew that I wanted an inclusive boutique because I have fluctuated in weight my entire life. I ranged from a size 16 to a size six and everything in between. No matter my weight, fashion and style have always been one of the strongest sources of my confidence. On December 15th, 2021, I launched www.ShopAtAmandine.com – as our motto says, “When you look good, you feel good!” and we aim to make our clients feel good when they wear pieces from us. The end goal is to open a brick and mortar location in the heart of Miami.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to Shop at Amandine has not been smooth, but does anything truly come easy? When beginning a project, specially with fears there are many doubts – which is the mental struggled. Although I was always confident with styling and fashion, part of me would consistently ask myself “would people buy from me?” “what if people don’t buy?”.
After overcoming these challenges, I had to learn the website making process, the shipping process and all of that came with a hefty price tag. Additionally, photoshoot, models and social media strategies require a lot of studying, research and understanding of your market. I began this project with keeping the stock in my bedroom and shipping from there – eventually, I outgrew the space and had to find somewhere more spacious and was able to secure a small commercial space. I also learned along the way that people want an inclusive stock but no longer the perfect picture social media page. Your content has to be relatable, it has to have an “everyday” feel to it. This was something I learned along the way, I always wanted the sleek white background perfect photos but consumers no longer want that. They cannot relate to that. I had to revisit and redefine my social media strategy.
Overall, the struggles and bumps along the road have been learning tools for me. I take them as “constructive criticism” and I go back to the drawing board and adapt. My goal is to satisfy my clients, so when they speak or request a change, I listen.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Shop at Amandine is an online retail boutique, we provide a unique customized shopping experience. We carefully select the pieces that we carry in order to make sure that they are unique. Clients have access to us for styling suggestions, sizing questions, special requests or even shipping inquiries via five channels of communication (Whatsapp, DM, Text message, Instagram and E-mail).
We are known for our customer service, our inclusivity, and the attention we give to the details in selecting and curating looks for our clients. Our focus is not the financial gain, it is client satisfaction. We want our clients to look and feel good, that is what sets us apart and it is how we define our success.
I am most proud of my commitment to the success of this passion project. I am most proud when I see a client wear something that I suggested and they send photos of themselves looking and feeling good. In that moment that I was not wrong about watering this seed of mine and allowing it to grow and flourish.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have many favorite childhood memories but one that I can vividly relive which brings a smile to my face and butterflies to my stomach is the preparation for my first communion. I had my first communion in Haiti and my mother and grandmother had my dress customized. I remember vividly going to the seamstress and feeling like a real princess or a barbie in every fitting. The attention to the details of my dress was impeccable, a mixture of beads and embroidery. Something out of a dream. Of course, after each session, the seamstress would gift me scraps of fabrics and anything she did not need in order for me to practice on my barbies.
Pricing:
- Our prices range anywhere between $7 to $145
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@shopatamandine.com
- Website: www.ShopAtAmandine.com
- Instagram: @ShopAtAmandine
- Facebook: Facebook.com/ShopAtAmandine
- Twitter: @ShopAtAmandine
