Amsale Aberra
Encyclopedia
Amsale Aberra is an Ethiopia
n fashion design
er and entrepreneur
.
She is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) and a Trustee of the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Amsale Aberra, professionally known as Amsale journeyed to the United States to study commercial art. Political upheaval in her native Ethiopia forced Amsale to stay in the United States and to 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 receiving her degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts
, Amsale left Boston and enrolled in New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology
.
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.
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 seeks to create a more romantic feeling dress – using French laces and silk organza.
In 2007, ABC
purchased an Aberra wedding dress
for use in the season final episode of Grey's Anatomy
. Also that year, Ford
hired Aberra to produce a television commercial for their MKX model
.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
er and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
.
She is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) and a Trustee of the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Amsale Aberra, professionally known as Amsale journeyed to the United States to study commercial art. Political upheaval in her native Ethiopia forced Amsale to stay in the United States and to 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 receiving her degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
, Amsale left Boston and enrolled in New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology, generally known as FIT, is a State University of New York college of art, business, design, and technology connected to the fashion industry, with an urban campus located on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of...
.
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.
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 seeks to create a more romantic feeling dress – using French laces and silk organza.
In 2007, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
purchased an Aberra wedding dress
Wedding dress
A wedding dress or wedding gown is the clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.- Western culture :...
for use in the season final episode of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. Also that year, Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
hired Aberra to produce a television commercial for their MKX model
Lincoln MKX
The Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover from Ford's Lincoln division and a de facto successor to the Lincoln Aviator luxury SUV. It debuted as a 2007 model in December 2006 as a production version of the Lincoln Aviator Concept shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show...
.