As she was preparing for her wedding in 1986, Amsale Abera had one wish—a simple dress for her wedding. With none able to appease her needs, Amsale set off to design her dream wedding gown herself. The Ethiopian-born designer moved to the United States as a young woman until her death in 2018. Hollywood celebrities have worn Amsale’s bridal couture.
With decades in the business, Genet Kebede studied fashion design and garment construction in Italy and Argentina. She designs free-flowing lines, slits, low necks, contemporary Ethiopian Fashion bridal wear, and body-embracing clothes. Genet merges traditional Ethiopian style with modern techniques and trends under the label Paradise Fashion, active since 1992.
Using traditional Ethiopian fabric with slight hints of Western material, the Yohannes sisters design dresses and wedding gowns, all handmade under the label Yohannes Sisters Couture. The sisters turned heads on the runway of 2017 New York Fashion Week with their Royal Ethiopia collection. Their clothes have adorned the likes of Ethiopian celebrities like Zeritu Kebede and Wayna.
Mahlet Afework, who goes by Mafi, started developing her fashion skills as a teenager in high school by adding her own style to her school uniform. She went on to show her eponymous clothing line at the age of 18. Exclusively working with hand-woven fabrics made by local female artisans, the designer has an impressive contemporary collection of women’s wear, accessories, and a unisex shoe line. One of Africa’s top fashion designers, Mafi has showcased her collections at Africa Fashion Week in New York, among many other platforms. She won Origin Africa’s design award in 2012 and the Creative Futures award in 2017.
Under the label Yefikir Design, Fikirte Addis officially joined the Ethiopian fashion industry in 2009. She uses local weavers and embroiderers to compliment her stunning designs. Fikirte’s designs are a mix of contemporary and traditional style. The main fabrics she uses are handmade cotton that speak of comfort and style
Designing traditional clothes with a modern touch, Tigist Shiferaw designs handwoven casual wear, business attire and occasion clothes. The designer takes inspiration from trendy colors and clothes worldwide to create season-based collections in her studio, Tg’sh Design.
Model turned designer, Sara Mohammed has made great contributions to the fashion industry in Ethiopia as founder of Next Design Institute. Sara’s first designs were the clothes she designed for herself as one of the contestants of a beauty pageant. A recipient of the Women of Excellence Award from the Association of Women in Business in 2013, Sara is known for adding a unique touch to Ethiopian cultural clothes.
Sewasew Hailu designs western oriented clothes and traditional clothes, promoting Ethiopian culture through her designs. Her tailor-made wedding couture and evening gowns are distinctively made with fabrics produced by her own weavers.
Flowy dresses that are convenient for all sizes define most of Aynalem Ayele’s designs. Prior to moving back to Ethiopia to start her label, Ayni’s Design, Aynalem lived in the fashion capital of Milan for 13 years. Aynalem, who has been in the business for the past 12 years, presents bridal couture, leather bags, leather shoes, jewelry, and casual wear that are a mix of traditional and modern styles.
