Amsale's Wedding Gowns

Amsale Aberra came to America from Ethiopia at age 19 to study art, but her direction in life took a sudden and unexpected turn. When Amsale was planning her wedding she had a hard time finding a dress she liked. Instead of compromising, she stitched her own gown—and before she knew it, she was creating gowns for others.

In 1986, Amsale started her own custom wedding dress company, and over the next two decades, business skyrocketed. Now, Amsale—whose company had $25 million in sales in 2006—is one of the top couture wedding dress designers in the world!