Amsale Aberra facts for kids

Amsale Aberra (March 1, 1954 – April 1, 2018) was a talented fashion designer from Ethiopia who became famous in America. She was best known for creating beautiful and simple wedding gowns. Her main store was in New York City, and her dresses were also sold in fancy bridal shops like Saks Fifth Avenue. Amsale was a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). She was known professionally as Amsale (pronounced Ahm-sah'-leh).

Biography

Early Life and Education

Amsale Aberra was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her mother was Tsadale Assamnew. She was raised by her stepfather, Aberra Moltot, who was an important government official in Ethiopia. Amsale only met her biological father once.

When she was 19, Amsale moved to Poultney, Vermont, in the United States. She went to Green Mountain College to study commercial art. At that time, there were big political changes happening in Ethiopia. This meant Amsale had to stay in the U.S. and support herself through college.

Since she had limited money, Amsale started designing and sewing her own clothes. This was the first time she thought about a career in fashion. She later said she never expected to become a professional fashion designer.

After earning a degree in political science from Boston State College, Amsale moved to New York. There, she enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She earned a degree in Fashion Design from FIT.

Starting Her Fashion Career

After finishing her studies at FIT, Amsale Aberra worked as a design assistant for a company called Harvé Benard. After two years, she decided to start her own bridal gown company. Her goal was to create stunning, simple wedding dresses for modern women.

Amsale's design idea was to make sophisticated dresses that would always look stylish. Her designs were modern but also kept traditional touches. For example, she often used "illusion" necklines, which look like sheer fabric over the skin.

In 1985, Amsale was planning her own wedding. She looked everywhere for a simple, elegant wedding dress. She found that there were not many clean, sophisticated gowns available. This made her realize there was a gap in the bridal market.

Amsale then placed an advertisement for custom-made gowns. She started her business right out of her loft apartment in New York City.

Expanding Her Designs

Amsale's designs first focused only on wedding gowns. But she soon grew her business to include several different lines. These included her regular Amsale line and the Amsale Blue label, which featured more luxurious gowns. She also created "The Little White Dress" collection.

Beyond wedding dresses, she designed bridesmaid dresses and cocktail dresses. Her gowns typically cost between $3,000 and $12,000.

In 2003, Amsale created the Kenneth Pool label. This line featured dramatic ball gowns with luxurious fabrics and detailed beadwork. In 2005, Amsale bought the Christos company, which had been around for 30 years. With her Christos gowns, she aimed to create more romantic dresses using French laces and silk organza.

In 2006, Amsale was one of the first bridal designers to open a store on Madison Avenue in New York City. In 2012, she won The Legacy Award at the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. This award recognized her lasting impact in the fashion world.

In Popular Culture

Amsale's wedding dresses became very popular. In 2007, the ABC network bought one of her dresses. It was used in the third season finale of the TV show Grey's Anatomy. Also that year, Lincoln hired Amsale to create a television commercial for their MKX car model.

In June 2011, WE tv aired a reality show called "Amsale Girls." This show took viewers behind the scenes of Amsale's Madison Avenue salon. It showed how skilled bridal consultants helped brides find their perfect dress.

Besides Grey's Anatomy, Amsale's dresses were also featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The View. Many celebrities were fans of her gowns. Amsale dressed famous women like Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, Selma Blair, Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Heather Graham, Lisa Kudrow, Katherine Heigl, Kim Basinger, and Heidi Klum. She also designed the wedding gown for Hilaria Baldwin's marriage to actor Alec Baldwin in June 2012.

Amsale was twice included on Ebony magazine's "Power 150" list. This list recognized the 150 most influential African Americans.

Personal Life and Death

Amsale Aberra and her husband, film executive Neil Brown, lived in Manhattan. Amsale had a daughter, who is a singer-songwriter named Rachel Brown.

Amsale Aberra passed away on April 1, 2018, at the age of 64. She died from uterine cancer.