Hollywood’s famous bridal designer Amsale Aberra dies of cancer at 64

Ethiopian-born bridal and evening wear designer Amsale Aberra, who created wedding gowns for actresses like Halle Berry, Heidi Klum, Salma Hayek, Vivica Fox, Gayle King and Bethenny Frankel, died on Tuesday. She was 64.

fashion and trends Updated: Apr 03, 2018 13:20 IST
Amsale Aberra died due to uterine cancer, according to a representative of her brand, Amsale. (Twitter)
Amsale Aberra died due to uterine cancer, according to a representative of her brand, Amsale. (Twitter)

Amsale Aberra, founder and creative director of the bridal and ready-to-wear line Amsale, died at the age of 64 on Tuesday. The Ethiopian-American bridal designer created wedding gowns for actors, like, Halle Berry, Heidi Klum, Salma Hayek, Vivica Fox, Gayle King and Bethenny Frankel and was well-known for her evening gowns, cocktail dresses, and bridesmaid dresses.

Aberra had launched her namesake Amsale business in 1985 and opened a Madison Avenue flagship boutique in 1997. She died due to uterine cancer, according to a representative of the brand, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The 64-year-old designer, also designed fitness and wellness expert Hilaria Baldwin’s champagne-hued wedding gown for her June 2012 marriage to actor Alec Baldwin, and also dressed Jessica Alba in a bridesmaid’s dress to a friend’s wedding in 2013.

A post shared by @amsalebridesmaids on

Amsale gowns have also been famously featured on the silver screen and television.

Kate Hudson donned a $12,500 beaded, drop-waist wedding gown by Aberra in Something Borrowed, while Julia Roberts wore an ivory satin, off-the-shoulder gown with a train by her in the 1999 film Runaway Bride.

A channel also purchased a $6,600 strapless Amsale wedding dress for Sandra Oh’s character, Cristina, to wear in the final episode of the hit sitcom Grey’s Anatomy. The designer’s bridal gowns were also featured in the films like 27 Dresses, When In Rome and The Hangover, and on TV shows like Private Practice and Brothers and Sisters.

Before she passed, Aberra had already chosen a successor: Margo Lafontaine, recently the senior studio director at Vera Wang, reported Vogue. Lafontaine will oversee Amsale’s extensive bridal and ready-to-wear design teams.

A post shared by @amsalebridesmaids on

Aberra is survived by her daughter, musician Rachel Brown, and her husband, Amsale CEO Neil Brown, who said in a statement: “Amsale was not only an inspiration to the company, but someone who inspired and impacted everyone around her with her strength, kindness, and humility. 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.”

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