Amsale Aberra (1 March 1954 – 1 April 2018) was an Ethiopian American

fashion designer Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applied arts, applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has va ...

and

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

. Her main field of design was in

couture Couture may refer to: People * Couture (surname) Places Belgium * Couture-Saint-Germain, a village in the municipality of Lasne, Belgium Canada * Couture crater and Lac Couture, an impact crater and the lake that covers it in Quebec, Canada ...

wedding gowns A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. Wedding dresses hold a significa ...

, and her

flagship store A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

is located on

Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Stree ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. She was a member of the

Council of Fashion Designers of America The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), founded in 1962 by publicist Eleanor Lambert, and headquartered in Manhattan, is a not-for-profit trade association comprising a membership of over 450 American fashion and accessor ...

(CFDA) and a Trustee of the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college under the State University of New York, in New York City. It focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. It was founded in ...

. Amsale Aberra was professionally known as Amsale (pronounced Ahm-sah'-leh).

Biography

Born in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

to Tsadale Assamnew, a housewife and was raised by stepfather Aberra Moltot, Ethiopia's vice-minister for National Community Development. Amsale met her biological father only once. Aberra moved to

Poultney, Vermont Poultney is a town in Rutland County in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Vermont. New York state is on its western border. Castleton, Vermont, is on its northern border. Poultney was home to Green Mountain College, a private liberal ar ...

, to study commercial art at

Green Mountain College Green Mountain College was a Private college, private liberal arts college in Poultney, Vermont, at the foot of the Taconic Mountains between the Green Mountains and Adirondacks. The college was affiliated with the United Methodist Church and of ...

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. Aberra says that she herself never expected to be a professional fashion designer. After earning her degree in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

from

Boston State College Boston State College was a normal school from 1852 to 1872 and a public university from 1872 to 1982 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was merged into the University of Massachusetts Boston in 1982. History Boston State College's roots ...

, Amsale left

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and enrolled in New York's

(FIT), where she earned an associate degree 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. 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. Not only that, but her designs are seen as modern but still keep in mind traditional designs, such as her use of "illusion" necklines. 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. Aberra placed an advertisement for custom-made gowns and started her business out of her New York City loft apartment. On the website

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...

, Aberra had an Ask Amsale blog, where brides and brides-to-be could post questions for her, or express their love of her gowns. Aberra expressed her love of finding the perfect gown for any bride. This was solidified by the space on her main website where real brides can submit photos of themselves on their wedding day in one of her creations. 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. With her Christos gowns, Aberra sought to create a more romantic feeling dress – using French laces and silk organza. In 2006, she was the third bridal designer to open a store on Madison Ave. In 2012, Amsale was the winner of The Legacy Award at Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit.

In popular culture

In 2007,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

purchased an Aberra

wedding dress A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. Wedding dresses hold a significan ...

for use in the season third finale of ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

''. Also that year,

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...

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 Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...

Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles across various genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Award ...

Selma Blair Selma Blair (born Selma Blair Beitner; June 23, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' Cruel Intentions'', '' Legally Blonde'', '' The Sweetest Thing'', and the ''Hellboy'' franchise. Blair, born in Southfield, Michigan ...

Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...

Lucy Liu Lucy Alexis Liu (; born December 2, 1968) is an American actress, producer, and artist. Widely regarded as a trailblazer for Asian Americans in arts and entertainment, Asian American representation in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, she is t ...

Vivica A. Fox Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She began her career on ''Soul Train'' (19821983) and played roles on the daytime television soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' (1988) and ''Generations (American TV s ...

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. The accolades she has received include nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and an Independent Spirit Award. After appearing in tel ...

Lisa Kudrow Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress. She rose to international fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the American television sitcom ''Friends'', which aired from 1994 to 2004. The series earned her Primetime Emmy A ...

Katherine Heigl Katherine Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and model. She portrayed Izzie Stevens, Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role that b ...

Kim Basinger Kimila Ann Basinger ( ; born December 8, 1953) is an American actress. She has garnered acclaim for her work in film, for which she has received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a ...

Heidi Klum Heidi Klum (; born 1 June 1973) is a German and American model, television personality, producer, and businesswoman. She appeared on the cover of the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' in 1998 and was the first German model to become a Vict ...

, and many others. She was twice included on ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...

'' magazine's "Power 150" list of the 150 most influential African Americans.

Personal life and death

Aberra and her husband, film executive Neil Brown, lived in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. Aberra had a daughter, singer-songwriter

Rachel Brown Rachel Brown (born 2 July 1980) is an English former football goalkeeper who played for Liverpool from 1995 to 1998, spent five years from 1998 playing varsity soccer for Alabama Crimson Tide and Pittsburgh Panthers in the US college system ...

. Aberra died of uterine cancer on 1 April 2018, aged 64.

References

External links

Official siteNew York Enterprise Report: Amsale Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aberra, Amsale 1953 births 2018 deaths African-American fashion designers American women fashion designers American fashion designers Ethiopian emigrants to the United States Green Mountain College alumni Boston State College alumni Fashion Institute of Technology alumni People from Addis Ababa Ethiopian women fashion designers Ethiopian fashion designers Deaths from uterine cancer in the United States Wedding dress designers Deaths from cancer in New York (state) 20th-century American women artists 20th-century African-American artists 21st-century American women artists 21st-century African-American artists 21st-century African-American women artists