When Fatima Benson sewed her first pair of sailor pants, she was in high school. “The legs on my sailor pants were wider than everyone else’s. That’s how I liked them,” she says with a shrug. It’s no surprise that her sartorial instincts developed early: As the entrepreneur behind Fall River, Massachusetts’ occasionwear empire, Alexandra’s Boutique, she’s become something of a local legend for her stylistic sensibility. 

By age 8, Benson had already learned to stitch herself loose cotton night gowns. By the time she’d reached puberty, she was sewing most, if not all, of her own clothing. “I immigrated here from Portugal when I was 3, and at the time, my mother made all of our clothes at home. My uncle worked in a fabric factory, so he’d bring home scraps for me to play with,” she explains. “That became my form of play — working with materials, stitching them together. Back then, we didn’t have much else to play with.” 

Open for business

Benson’s affection for well-crafted clothing only deepened from there. At 20, when she stumbled upon a vacant retail space on the corner of South Main in Fall River, she knew instantly that she wanted to start a boutique. And having gone to work immediately after graduating high school, she’d amassed enough savings to kick off the project. “Everyone told me I was insane. I had no retail experience, no business experience, no college degree,” she says. “But the rent was $900, and I’d saved up enough money working in restaurants to manage.”

To stock the shop, she borrowed $20,000 from her father, and together, they drove to New York to wander the garment district, paying cash for the items she hoped to sell. In 1986, the store opened to the public. 

“Back then, we only had a few proper wedding gowns, and I really knew nothing about bridal,” she says. “But I bought about 25 gowns… and it turns out they were the right gowns.” 

Bigger and better

In just two years Benson had outgrown the 1,200-square-foot store and was ready for more: a proper three-story house down the street on South Main, where she could dedicate each room to a different category of occasionwear. The move was made possible, once again, by her father. 

At first, Benson thought it impossible that she’d outgrow the boutique’s second location, but business was booming, and as time went on the space felt cramped. “I met my husband, Joel, when I was 40, and he was the one who helped encourage me to expand into a bigger space,” she explains. “Then, we found the old Modern Furniture building — once again on South Main Street — and it just felt right.” 

The four-level, 28,000-square-foot space required a half-million-dollar renovation. In 2013, Benson became the second-ever tenant of the century-old building, and the boutique’s most ambitious chapter yet was underway.

Growing the legacy

It was around this time that Benson found herself with a new partner in the business. Her son, Zachary Leone, joined as CEO in 2015, turning Alexandra’s Boutique into a multigenerational affair. It wasn’t a path he’d originally planned on, but once he stepped in, the fit was undeniable.

“I never thought I’d end up working for my mom, but since I stepped in as CEO, I’ve never looked back,” says Leone. “It’s not so often you get to work with and spend time with a parent every day who you love and respect.”

For Benson, having Leone by her side has meant everything. It’s a full-circle moment from the early days when her own father believed in her enough to back the business twice. “He really was my hero,” she says of her father. “I’ve always hoped to be the same for my son.”

With Leone at the helm alongside his mother, the business continued to accelerate. In 2019, Alexandra’s Too opened just across the parking lot — once again on South Main — in the former Capitol Theatre. The $2 million historic renovation preserved the original hardwood floors, tin ceiling, and grand staircase. 

To fund it, the family turned to Rockland Trust. “They supported us from the get-go and made expansion feel possible,” says Leone. “They saw the numbers, and they were ready to get behind our ambitions.”

The Capitol Theatre project was as much about the neighborhood as it was about the business. “It’s been such a great neighborhood project. It’s such a special building,” says Leone. “And I’ve loved working with my mother on the expansion. I think there’s so much value in having two generational perspectives on how to move a business forward. We’re building on the family legacy together.” 

The art of the appointment

Decades later, business at the flagship and the Capitol Theatre show no signs of slowing down. Benson, Leone, and their team have mastered the art of the occasion-shopping appointment. They understand the stakes, the specificity, and the magic that comes with finding the perfect wedding dress.  

“The truth is, with a bride, you’re not just selling her a dress — it’s a whole life moment. It’s a memory. It’s a thing she’ll carry for a very long time, so you want to make sure you’re giving her the time and attention she deserves,” says Benson. “In the end, it’s about a feeling. A bride may end up walking out with something totally unexpected, but generally she’ll have a feeling when it’s right. So our job is to pull options until the right one lands.” 

40 years and counting

This year, Benson is reaching an important milestone: 40 years of Alexandra’s Boutique — an achievement few brick-and-mortar institutions can match. Having now occupied four different locations along South Main in Fall River, the boutique is both a neighborhood institution and a contemporary draw. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been 40 years — it doesn’t feel possible. I can’t be that old!” says Benson. “But I’m an immigrant. I’m a woman. I have no college diploma. And I built this thing,” she smiles. “I’ve made millions. I’ve helped hundreds and hundreds of people through big life moments. I’m so proud of that.”