Amsale Aberra (born 1953) is an Ethiopian fashion designer and entrepreneur.
She is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) and a Trustee of the Fashion Institute of Technology.[1][2]
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Amsale Aberra, professionally known as Amsale (pronounced Ahm-sah’-leh) 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-Boston, Amsale left Boston and enrolled in New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
In 2007, ABC purchased an Aberra wedding dress for use in the season final episode of Grey's Anatomy.[3] Also that year, Ford hired Aberra to produce a television commercial for their MKX model.[5]