Erica Brewer has endured heartbreaking loss, and many trials and tribulations to get to where she is today.
But the 42-year-old’s philosophy can be summed up in the very words that adorn the walls of her downtown Dubuque boutique: “The power of a great outfit is impossible to overstate.”
“The way we look can inspire our mood and the way we feel about ourselves,” Brewer said. “I have seen it take place in people who are really struggling and give them a sense of pride and of purpose. It’s about discovering self-love and self-confidence. It’s about feeling and being empowered in your own skin.”
Brewer, along with husband Henry, is the owner of Belle Allure Minkz & Boutique, a carefully curated clothing and accessory shop located on Central Avenue that she describes as “casual-meets-upscale.”
Fascinated by fashion’s ability to tap into self-expression, Brewer began dabbling in bringing different looks together as early as elementary school, relocating to Dubuque from Chicago, and attending Prescott and Fulton elementary schools, as well as Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
“I would handmake clothes for myself,” she said. “My friends would see what I was wearing and would want something similar. I liked to stand out and be different. When everyone else was wearing one thing, I would take that same thing and splash some paint on it, just to make my look my own.”
Brewer went on to attend Dubuque Senior and Central high schools. While she dropped out, she would complete her high school diploma, and attend Northeast Iowa Community College and University of Dubuque.
“My mother worked a lot, so I spent a lot of time in my younger years raising my siblings, becoming a young mother myself — like my mother had — and growing up a little faster than most,” she said. “I went through the death of my sister, whom I was very close to, due to seizures.”
However, those life and family growing pains fueled within her a strong sense of determination.
Brewer’s earliest concept of Belle Allure Minkz & Boutique began in her living room, pulling together looks that included lashes, purses, and handmade fur slides and boots.
Although small in scale, it yielded big business and even bigger things to come.
“It was nonstop traffic in the middle of my living room,” Brewer said, with a laugh. “I would get more merchandise in, then sell out. Then get more in. Then sell out again.”
That led to Brewer establishing her first brick-and-mortar location, adding select fashions from trade shows and online wholesale vendors.
Now in her third space, Belle Allure Minkz & Boutique’s black-and-white décor, coupled with its colorful and eclectic assortment of fashion pieces, provide a unique contribution to the local fashion boutique scene.
“I want it to feel fancy,” Brewer said. “I want women to feel like it’s something exclusive and special, just for them, when they walk in the door.”
Brewer also offers customers the option of shopping from the convenience of their homes, having purchases delivered during lunch hours or after store hours.
“You never know what people are going through,” she said. “People have challenges and limitations. Not everyone has access to a vehicle to get to where they need to go. So, people can call me or send me a message, and tell me what they would like and in what size, and I will come and bring it to them.”
Beyond fashion, Brewer also has emerged as a leader within the community, using her own life experiences to inspire others, participating in panel discussions, and earning awards and recognition.
In 2022, Brewer was named the Deb Dalziel Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by the North Iowa Area Small Business Development Center, receiving the honor from Gov. Kim Reynolds and becoming the first Black woman to gain the recognition in Iowa.
That same year, Brewer spoke as part of a panel of Black Dubuque community members who discussed their personal life experiences during “The Diaspora Experience: Living as Black in the United States.”
In 2024, Brewer again was recognized with Dubuque Main Street’s Excellence in Façade and First Floor Renovation award for the extensive work put into her boutique.
In the future, she hopes to expand the fashion offerings within her business, adding a lash and makeup bar, hosting fashion shows, and even offering education opportunities focused on creating and running a small business, geared toward youth.
Additionally, Brewer also has begun adding clothing for men and youth among her boutique offerings.
Her own rise from her life experiences has provided a kind of empathy and drive to use fashion as a gateway for others to come into their sense of self-discovery, transformation and identity.
“I’m inspired to create a pathway for others,” Brewer said. “For youth in our community, for other Black business owners and for women who need to be uplifted and to feel good about themselves, it’s not just about fashion. It’s about what fashion can do to not only elevate your look, but your whole life. I want people to feel good about themselves and help them realize their full potential.”
Megan Gloss writes for the Telegraph Herald.
