We had the good fortune of connecting with Antonio Benson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Antonio, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I wanted to create a brand that would allow people to purchase beautifully crafted items that didn’t break your pockets. My vision is to be a household luxury lifestyle brand that is focused on making luxury simple and accessible to all.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The Sebastien DuPont brand sprouted in the midst of Covid. I was in my apartment worried about keeping a steady income and how the pandemic would effect my living situation. This triggered me to create a plan to sustain myself and create something that would be valuable to others and would play towards the things that I truly found excitement. During the pandemic I started designed different bags, clothing, and event mixing my own fragrances for colognes, lotions, and body oil.

 

Once I had the idea of what I wanted to do and how I would accomplish it, the only thing that stood in my way was funding. As a young black male I understood that getting funding for a business would be tough and would require a lot of effort on my behalf. So I started working 2 jobs to build up my own brand with my own money since I couldn’t get loans from the bank and private investors were charging astronomical rates.

With my brand my goal is to connect people with highly crafted goods at an affordable rate. The world is full of stress and worries every day. People sometimes spend all that they have to purchase just one article of an expensive brand just so that they can be apart of the high society. I want to change peoples way of purchasing so that they can still have the sense of luxury without worrying about how much this item would cost them in the long run.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta is filled with exciting locations, great food, and endless possibilities. If I had a friend come into town and wanted to show them a good time here are some of things we would do to enjoy the city. Monday would be all about brewery. This would include visiting some of Atlanta’s very own brewery companies such as Monday Night Brewery, New Realm, and Torched Hop Brewing Company for some drinks and a bite to eat, Tuesday we would continue the drinking festivities at The Ranger Station right about Lady Bird. Wednesday catch a movie at Colony Square and do some shopping. Thursday visit one of Atlanta’s speakeasy bars at Ponce City Market known as 12 Cocktail Lounge for some small bites and crafted beverages. Friday, grab some Nashville Hot Chicken from Hattie B’s, hangout in the Edgewood area for arcade games at Joysticks, and then bar hop at the many bars in the area. Saturday would be park day a Piedmont park for exercising and enjoying the hot ATL weather. Sunday would be Sunday Funday starting with church service at All Nations, brunch at Toast on Lenox, then drinks at Blake’s on 10th Street.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to credit and recognize my close friend Lacey Anderson II in my shoutout. We both grew up in the same city and understand the hard work and sacrifice it takes to become successful. The level of dedication that he exude speaks volumes to me and give me the push I need to keep moving forward through ever challenge.

Website: https://sebastienco.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/_sebastienco

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_sebastienco

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sebastiendupont2363

Image Credits
Photos by: Vincent Moss and LA Fashion Week

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.