Amsale Aberra, the founder and creative director behind the bridal fashion line Amsale, passed away from uterine cancer on April 1, 2018 at the age of 64. The fashion icon came to the United States from Ethiopia to begin college in Vermont. Life brought her to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she earned a degree in fashion. Her style background paired with her inability to find a simple, timeless dress while shopping for her own wedding gown led her to create Amsale. Starting the bridal company out of her apartment, it is now a world-renowned fashion company known for wedding and bridesmaid dresses as well as evening wear. Prior to her death, Aberra appointed Margo Lafontaine as her successor to oversee the bridal and ready-to-wear design teams. Lafontaine is the former senior studio director at Vera Wang.
“Amsale was not only an inspiration to the company, but someone who inspired and impacted everyone around her with her strength, kindness, and humility,” shared Neil Brown, Amsale CEO and husband to Aberra. “Working side by side, we spent 360 degrees of our life together, and I know only too well both her creative genius and her infinite goodness. Words cannot express the personal loss that we feel, but we are comforted by the avalanche of support we’ve received and the commitment of our team to carry on Amsale’s legacy.”
In honor of the design icon, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite Amsale styles.
Featured image via Hola
