Designer Q&A: Amsale

Amsale (pronounced Am-Sah-Lah) began her career in an unusual way: by accident. While looking for bridal gowns for her own wedding, she got discouraged by the lack of options, and decided to create her own dress for her big day!

Instantly, her eye for clean, classic silhouettes became an instant hit and birthed her career. Twenty years later, Amsale remains one of the leading wedding houses in the world, leading to her WE tv show, “Amsale Girls,” which airs at 8 pm on weekdays.

We sat with the designer to talk about her career, her show and her philosophy of success. Read on and be inspired.

ESSENCE.com: Is the success of your new show, ‘Amsale Girls’ overwhelming?
AMSALE: To say it’s overwhelming is a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s definitely a different feeling.

ESSENCE.com: How did it come about?
AMSALE: A production company approached us about the reality show and after speaking to them and getting to know them, they made me feel very comfortable about this exciting opportunity.

ESSENCE.com: Can you tell us what the show is about?
AMSALE:  A lot of it is about girls who work for me, “Amsale Girls” and how they interact with each other. It’s about the pressures of selling these wedding dresses and the pressure of working at a high end salon. There also a little bit of my design process in there.

ESSENCE.com: Speaking of your design process, how did your career get launched?
AMSALE: It wasn’t on purpose, but I think the idea comes from the pursuit of perfection when I was looking for my own dress.

ESSENCE.com: Do you think it’s easier or harder for the next generation of designers to break into the industry?
AMSALE: I think whether it’s easier or harder depends on the way you look at it. There’s no question that when I started my businesses If I’d known all the things ahead of me, I probably would have been discouraged. Nothing is easy, but at the same time, nothing is impossible. What matters is how passionate are you about design and how much are you willing to sacrifice and work in order for you to make it. When i started, I never had a business plan for my first year or five years ahead. But, I stuck to things I loved and didn’t let myself get discouraged. That formula will always lead to success.

ESSENCE.com: Is there a formula that those who want your kind of success can follow?
AMSALE: I think anyone who is looking at success in a superficial way is not heading for success. But, anyone who is passionate about what they are doing is on the right path. Instead of looking to see what others have done, it’s best to ask, What is it about you? What is it that you see differently? Be  clear about what you want and regardless of what people think, you will have a following. You may think  there are thousands of designers, so how do you stand a chance. But then, you can say there are a lot of designers, but i love my point of view and i want to express it!  I guarantee: you will find people who love it too!