In the world of bridal fashion, few names resonate as profoundly as Amsale Aberra’s. Amsale Aberra (March 1, 1954 - April 1, 2018) was an Ethiopian American fashion designer and entrepreneur.
Her main field of design was in couture wedding gowns, and her flagship store is located on Madison Avenue in New York City.
Ethiopian born couture bridal gown designer Amsale Aberra has become the ‘it’ designer for some of Hollywood’s most famous stars including Halle Berry, Selma Hyak and Julia Roberts, just to name a few.
Amsale’s success has been attributed to her keen eye for creating timeless, sophisticated, clean pieces that speaks to all races and generations.
Nickname: Queen of Kings.
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From Ethiopia to Madison Avenue
Hailing from Ethiopia, Amsale notes that in her native country, she never envisioned being a designer because “in Ethiopia there were no fashion designers."
Aberra moved to Poultney, Vermont, to study commercial art at Green Mountain College when she was 19.
Political upheaval in her native Ethiopia forced Amsale to stay in the United States and support herself through her undergraduate years.
As financial resources were limited, Amsale began to design and sew her own clothing. For the first time, Amsale considered the possibility of a career in fashion design.
After completing her studies at FIT, Aberra went to work as a design assistant for Harvé Benard. After she worked there for two years, she began her own bridal gown company.
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The Birth of a Bridal Vision
A personal quest sparked Amsale’s journey into bridal fashion. In 1985, while planning her wedding, Aberra scoured the stores to find a simple, refined wedding dress.
She found little in the way of clean, sophisticated gowns, and discovered an untapped niche in the bridal market.
Her approach was to create stunning, simple gowns that would fit the modern woman. Her design philosophy was to take a "forever" modern approach to sophisticated design.
Amsale’s designs were groundbreaking. She is credited as the inventor of the modern wedding dress, a testament to her vision of marrying classic simplicity with contemporary sophistication.
Today, Amsale has broken down barriers and has managed to become the only African bridal designer to have a boutique in one of the most coveted locations for fashion designers in America, Madison Avenue.
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In 1997, Amsale’s vision found a physical manifestation with the opening of her store on Madison Avenue.
Amsale brand carries on under designer LaFontaine
Expanding the Amsale Brand
While her designs began as only wedding gowns, Aberra expanded her line to include her regular Amsale line, Amsale Blue label (for more luxurious gowns), The Little White Dress, bridesmaid dresses, as well as cocktail dresses.
Her gowns range in price from $3000 and $12000 in price.
Additionally in 2003, Aberra created the Kenneth Pool label and began designing a line of dresses featuring dramatic ball gowns, luxurious fabrics and intricate beadwork.
In 2005, Amsale acquired the 30-year-old Christos company.
Amsale in Pop Culture and Beyond
In 2007, ABC purchased an Aberra wedding dress for use in the season third finale of Grey's Anatomy.
Also that year, Lincoln hired Aberra to produce a television commercial for their MKX model.
In June 2011, WE tv aired Amsale Girls, a reality show taking viewers behind the scenes of Amsale's Madison Avenue flagship salon and the highly skilled bridal consultants who work to help each unique bride find her perfect dress.
Along with the Grey's Anatomy gowns, Amsale's dresses have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and The View.
American Wedding, 27 Dresses, When in Rome, and The Hangover all featured wedding dresses designed by Amsale.
While her gowns have been featured on television as well as in films, celebrities have also been fans of Amsale gowns.
Aberra dressed such notable women as Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Selma Blair, Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, Vivica A.
Legacy
Amsale’s impact extended beyond the bridal world. At Weddings in Houston, we had the pleasure of meeting Amsale several times in NYC and in Houston. She was an honored guest and judge at our I Do! Soiree in 2007.
Her presence was as captivating as her designs, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of encountering her. “Amsale was elegant, eloquent and down to earth with a great fashion sense. Her gowns were understated, glamorous and timeless.
Today, as we honor Amsale Aberra, we celebrate her designs and the visionary who reshaped our perception of the bridal fashion world.
