What will the bride wear? It is a question on the mind of many guests that attend a wedding. It’s all about the dress.
For centuries wedding gowns have been a crucial part of the fashion industry, as well as the respected designers at the helm of the market.
This past weekend, the wedding industry said goodbye to one of those respected designers. Amsale Aberra died April 1 at the age of 64 from uterine cancer. The Ethiopian-born designer, whose namesake line “Amsale” has been at the forefront of bridal fashion since the early ‘90s, breathed new life into bridal fashion after her 1985 wedding opened her eyes to the simplistic, but classic style the industry was missing. Aberra and her husband Neil Brown formed Amsale the following year.
The “Amsale” style is an outlet for brides looking for an alternative to the “Cinderella,” princess design, which dominated the industry for decades. Clean lines, sophisticated silhouettes and simple, classic gowns is the calling card of the company, which extends into the company’s cocktail dresses, evening gowns and bridesmaids dresses.
“Amsale was not only an inspiration to the company, but someone who inspired and impacted everyone around her with her strength, kindness, and humility,” said her husband and business partner, Neil Brown in a statement about the designer’s death. “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.”
The Amsale brand will continue on through Aberra-appointed successor Margo Lafontaine, who previously worked as the senior studio director at Vera Wang. Additionally, per Aberra’s request, her Spring 2019 collection will debut as planned Friday, April 13, during Bridal Fashion Week.
Brides can find Amsale designs at I Do Bridal Couture in Baton Rouge. 4265 Perkins Rd, (225) 361-0377, idobridalcouture.com
*All photos from WWD.com
