All Articles Tagged "bridal business"
Working the Wedding: 8 of the Best Black Names in the Industry
Wedding season is upon us. It’s a charged time period, and that’s not just a reference to the tears of joy and panic attacks – upwards of $80 billion is spent each year on crafting the perfect day. Today The Atlanta Post takes a look at eight black-owned businesses that have managed to distinguish themselves in a crowded industry. From world-renowned dressmaker Amsale Aberra to baker extraordinaire, Margo Lewis, these proprietors are upping the wow factor for weddings.
Amsale Aberra
Amsale Aberra’s business was born of necessity. The year was 1985 and after a few expeditions that yielded nothing but poofs and fussiness, the bride-to-be decided to craft her own gown. Soon thereafter the Ethiopian native took out an ad in a bridal magazine and began to see clients. While her devotees include some of the biggest names in Hollywood – Halle Berry, Julia Roberts and Salma Hayek – she’s also popular among fictional characters. Aberra’s dresses are featured in films Something Borrowed, 27 Dresses, and ABC Series Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Brothers and Sisters. Next month the cameras turn on her as she opens up her Madison Avenue boutique to WE TV in a reality series, “Amasale Girls”.
Mark Ingram: A Man Who’s Mastered the Bridal Gown
(New York Times) — A clotheshorse ever since he could toddle, Mark Ingram ultimately selected an item of clothing he will never wear himself — the wedding gown — as the focal point of his business, the Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier, in Midtown. Mr. Ingram, 52, opened his couture bridal shop in 2002 after accumulating 20 years of experience in the clothing industry. He lives in Hamilton Heights.
Dressing up: My grandparents lived in Harlem, and from the time I was a toddler, I remember spending weekends with them and going up and down Fifth Avenue window-shopping. They loved to dress me. On Saturdays I’d go to fittings at Best & Company and B. Altman.
Business first: I grew up in the Bronx and Mount Vernon; I attended the High School of Music and Art, and then I went to N.Y.U. My parents sort of pushed me toward business and marketing.
