Shannah Rose

Featuring Ethiopian American fashion designer & entrepreneur, Amsale Aberra.
Born in Ethiopia in 1954, she moved to Vermont at 19, studying commercial art at Green Mountain College. Due to political upheaval, she stayed in the USA, supporting herself through her undergraduate years where she started designing & sewing her own clothing. For the first time she considered a career in fashion design.
After earning her degree in political science from Boston State College, she went to New York and enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), there earning an associate degree in Fashion Design.
After earning her degree, she went to work as a design assistant for Harve Benard for 2 yrs. Then she started her own bridal gown company. Her approach was to create stunning, simple gowns to fit the modern woman, with a philosophy of "forever" modern approach to sophisticated design.
In '85, after being unable to find a simple, refined wedding dress, she placed an ad for custom-made gowns and started her business from her NYC loft apartment.
Overtime she expanded her line to include a regular Amsale line, as well as Amsale Blue, The Little White Dress, bridesmaids dresses, & cocktail dresses, and in 2003 the Kenneth Pool label. Then in 2005 she aquired the Christos label, which she used to create more romantic feeling gowns. Her main field of design stayed in couture wedding gowns. Her flagship boutique located on Madison Ave. in NYC opened in 2006, only the 3rd bridal designer to open there. Her stunning creations were also being carried in the bridal boutiques of Saks Fifth Ave. and Neiman Marcus.
Amsale was a member of the CFDA, featured twice on Ebony Magazine's "Power 150" list, and the 2012 winner of The Legacy Award at Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit.
Aberra passed away of uterine cancer in 2018 at the age of only 64.
To read more about this wonderfully talented woman, see: https://www.brides.com/story/best-amsale-wedding-dresses

Today's featured fabulous designer is Ann Lowe.
Born Ann Cole Lowe Dec. 14, 1898, she graduated from S.T. Talyor Design school in 1919 and was the first African American to become a notable fashion designer. Her OOAK designs were favourites with high society from the '20's to the '60s.
Opening her first salon in Tampa, FL in 1920, quickly becoming a success. In '28 she returned to New York City working on commission for various stores such as Henri Bendel, Chez Sonia, Neiman Marcus, & Saks Fifth Avenue. Olivia de Havilland wore one of her stunning custom dresses to accept the Academy Award for Best Actress for To Each His Own in '48, though it was under the label of Sonia Rosenberg.
To start getting credit for her own work, she and her son opened her second salon, Ann Lowe's Gowns, in 1950 on Lexington Ave and her stunning gowns in exquisite fabrics were an instant success. She was even called "society's best kept secret" by the Saturday Evening Post.
In '53 she was hired to design the wedding dress, as well as the bridal attendants, for Jacqueline Bouvier for her wedding to J.F.K. She had designed Jackie's mother's wedding dress in '42.
This project almost didn't come to pass when a water pipe broke in her salon, ruining all bridal party dresses, including the wedding dress. Not willing to give up, she bought more fabric and started again.
Even though she worked for some of the most wealthy society women, they often talked her out of charging appropriately for her creations, and later admitted that at the height of her career she was virtually broke. In 1961 she received the Couturier of the Year award. And in '62 she lost her salon, unable to pay her taxes, and her left eye to glaucoma.
An anonymous friend paid her debts while she was recovering from her surgery, which allowed her to work again. She opened a new store in '68, after having surgery to save her right eye. She retired in '72.
See here for more info on this talented woman! : https://www.elle.com/fashion/amp29019843/jackie-kennedy-wedding-dress-designer-ann-lowe/

Happy International Women's Day! On this day when we celebrate how strong and amazing women are, I'd like to celebrate 2 of the main women behind Shannah Rose. First is Rose Thomas, known to all of us in her family as Chummy. She was my great-Grandmother and an amazing dress-maker! A master at her craft she made sure to pass on the art to her daughter and granddaughters. Her granddaughter, Shannah Gail , known to all as Gail (or Mum), also became a master dress-maker under her guidance. In turn, Gail, my Mum, taught me everything she had learned from Chummy. Together, Rose and Shannah Gail, laid the foundations for my love and passion for this art, & for Shannah Rose itself. I am forever grateful to them both, as well as all the other strong females who have been there to guide and support me,family and friends, in the past, and going forward. 💚