As featured in Crain's

Among some celebrities and the fashion cognoscenti, Amsale is an open secret— a favorite of young, modern women whose tastes run toward the simple lines of Prada and other European designers. Recently, actress Kim Basinger dressed in Amsale for the Golden Globe Awards.

“Amsale is really in touch with her customer,” says Lincoln Moore, the bridal wear buyer at Saks. “She appeals to professional women who are sophisticated, cutting-edge and in the know; two buyers here at Saks chose her gowns for their own weddings.”

Like many good business ideas, Amsale was born of necessity. In 1985, Ms. Aberra then a design assistant for Harve Benard, searched desperately for a wedding gown as her nuptials to HBO programming executive Neil Brown drew nearer. What she soon discovered was that her preference—a simple, sophisticated gown, sans pearls, rhinestones and poufy sleeves—didn't exist. So she designed her own gown, then decided to open her own custom bridal shop.

Months later, Ms. Aberra took out a full-page ad in a national bridal magazine, featuring one of her designs. The demand was overwhelming. With the help of her husband, a Harvard M.B.A. who guided the financial end of the business, Ms. Aberra quickly expanded into a thriving wholesale enterprise. Her first account came from Kleinfeld in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, the most famous bridal store in the nation.

KLEINFELD A KEY SUPPORTER

“The enthusiasm and support I received from Kleinfeld was the validation I needed,” Ms. Aberra says now. “I still get emotional thinking about it, because at the time, in the back of my mind I was thinking, ‘What if there are no dresses like mine out there because there isn't really a market for them?'”

Today, she knows better. Despite requests from chains across the country, Ms. Aberra limits distribution of the line. And the Madison Avenue shop, opened as much to increase the company's visibility as its sales, is careful not to offer any of the selections available at other New York City retailers.

Fans of the line are confident that the slow but steady approach will pay off in the long run.

“Trust me,” says Saks' Mr. Moore. “Her name will become quite known.”