New York (Tadias) – The full version of Tadias TV’s exclusive interview with fashion Designer Amsale Aberra will be posted later this week. In the mean time, here is our tour of her bridal boutique on New York’s Madison Avenue.
Amsale’s reality TV show Amsale Girls, a six-hour episode series on the women’s network WE TV, goes behind-the-scenes of this luxury bridal salon.
Her gowns range in price from $4,000 to $75,000, revealing Amsale’s sales consultants as some of the best in the business.
Watch:
Video: Preview of Tadias Magazine’s Interview With Bridal Gown Guru Amsale Aberra
Above: Amsale Aberra, one of America’s top bridal & evening wear designers. Watch her interview with Tadias Magazine - video below. (Photo courtesy of WE tv)
New York (Tadias) – In a recent interview with Tadias, Ethiopian American couture bridal-gown designer and entrepreneur Amsale Aberra discussed her new reality TV show Amsale Girls, her success in the fashion industry, her memories of Ethiopia, her musican daughter Rachel Brown and more.
Amsale, 58, who came to the United States from Ethiopia in 1973, is one of the most sought after bridal and evening-wear designers in the United States. Her sophisticated and elegant dresses are favorites among celebrities and she has dressed Hollywood’s A-list, including Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Kim Bassinger, Uma Thurman, Anna Paquin, Heidi Klum, Selma Blair, Lucy Liu and Katherine Heigl, among others. Kate Hudson filmed the big screen adaptation of Something Borrowed at Amsale’s Madison Avenue boutique.
Model Maya Haile wore an Amsale gown during her wedding to renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson at their reception in Addis Ababa.
Amsale Aberra’s new reality show, Amsale Girls, is currently airing on the women’s network WE TV. The six-hour episode series goes behind-the-scenes of this luxury bridal salon that caters to high-maintenance clientele, with gowns donning price tags of $4,000 to $75,000, revealing Amsale’s sales consultants as the best in the business.
Below is the preview of our interview with Amsale. It was taped in her office in New York City on Tuesday, June 28, 2011. The full video will be posted next week.
Watch:
Sean John on Spur Tree And His Affinity for Ethiopia
Above:Sean John, owner of the New York restaurant and
lounge Spur Tree, talks with us about his love for Ethiopia.
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Saturday, April 2, 2011
New York (Tadias) – Jamaican-born entrepreneur Sean John is the owner of Spur Tree Lounge, located in Lower East Side Manhattan. The hip and popular eatery, which was recently selected by MACY’s Culinary Council as one of NYC’s hottest restaurants, is frequented by tourists and New Yorkers alike, including Ethiopians whose country inspired the establishment’s logo. The menu combines Jamaican and Asian cuisine. But, the moment you walk into the restaurant, there is no mistaking Spur Tree’s subtle connection to Ethiopia.
In the following video Sean John discusses the success of his business, the story behind his logo, his affinity for Ethiopia and his extensive travels throughout the African nation.
WATCH:
Stars of Ethiopia Take Center Stage at NYU’s Kimmel Center – Video
Above:NYT Photographer Chester Higgins, Jr. gives Tadias a
tour of his exhibition featuring 13 portraits of Ethiopian faces.
Tadias Magazine
Events News
Published: Tuesday, March 29, 2011
New York (Tadias) – Near New York City’s Washington Square Park, at NYU’s Windows at Kimmel Center, pedestrians and drivers alike are being treated to 13 exquisite photographs from Ethiopia. The images were captured by New York Times Photographer Chester Higgins, Jr. during his 2007-2010 trip to Ethiopia. The outdoor exhibit, entitled “Stars of Ethiopia,” is organized by the Institute of African American Affairs at NYU and features photos measuring 70″ x 80″ that are visible from the sidewalk. With each portrait, Higgins seeks to create a dialogue with the viewer, revealing his subjects’ diverse homeland through their eyes.
In the following video, Mr. Higgins gives Tadias a tour of his exhibition.
WATCH:
Backstage With Danny Mekonnen and Melaku Belay at Joe’s Pub in New York
Above:Tadias TV spoke with Fendika’s group leader Melaku
Belay (left) & Debo band’s founder Danny Mekonnen (right).
Tadias TV
Events News – Video
Published: Monday, September 20, 2010
New York (Tadias) – The Boston-based Debo band and the Fendika traditional dance troupe from Addis Ababa performed to a sold-out audience in New York.
The American and Ethiopian musicians, who made their first joint international appearance at the 7th Sauti za Busara music festival in Zanzibar earlier this year, launched their U.S. tour on Friday, September 17, 2010.
The fifteen piece cross-cultural jazz collective is scheduled to make upcoming stops at select American cities, including Philadelphia, Boston, Richmond (VA), Chicago, and Milwaukee with expected highlight concert at the Chicago World Music Festival.
Tadias TV caught up with Debo band’s founder and Harvard graduate student Danny Mekonnen as well as Fendika’s group leader Melaku Belay at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan.
Watch: Backstage With Danny Mekonnen and Melaku Belay
Model Maya Gate Haile is represented by the world's top modeling agencies including IMG, Elite and Ford. (Tadias)
Tadias Magazine
By Tseday Alehegn
Published: Thursday, June 17, 2010
New York (Tadias) – This week Tadias TV highlights international model Maya Gate Haile. The Ethiopian-born model grew up in Holland before relocating to New York where her fashion modeling career has flourished. She is represented by the world’s top modeling agencies including IMG, Elite and Ford.
The choice to become a model as a teenager was a tough, personal decision for Maya. Her parents, who migrated to the Netherlands when Maya was 13, pushed their daughter to focus on learning a new language, excelling in school, and perhaps consider becoming a doctor or a nurse.
“For a long time I had [modeling] on my mind, but I could not bring it home,” Maya says. And those who saw the tall, somewhat shy, and elegant girl with an infectious smile would often remark “Are you a model?” At 20 Maya finally decided to tell her decision to her family.
Maya recalls “My brother was really shocked: ‘You’re going to be a model? Are you kidding me?’” But Maya took the opportunities before her and delved into the world of fashion. As much as she loves her work, Maya points out that modeling for her is not “a final destination.”
“I love modeling because from modeling you can become something else,” she says with enthusiasm. She points out that one can grow from the networking opportunities modeling affords and get involved in other entrepreneurial or humanitarian ventures. “You could take advantage of modeling and you could be activists, film-makers, photographers. It is not only about modeling,” she emphasizes.
Which leads us to ask her what other projects she has been working on.
“I have several projects in mind but one that I am currently working on is to provide opportunities for girls in Ethiopia to get access to my world. I would like to give those who aspire to become models an opportunity to come to Europe and to get a taste of what fashion and modeling career is all about. I want to provide access and mentoring, so that they can see that it’s possible to be successful and to go after their dreams. I want to share what I have learned.”
Maya also works closely with UNICEF’s New Generation program. Her husband, Chef Entrepreneur and Author Marcus Samuelsson, introduced her to UNICEF and currently serves as Ambassador for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Both Maya and her husband are particularly committed to supporting the organization’s immunization programs and its efforts to deliver clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world. Maya also focuses on providing entrepreneurial opportunities for youth aged 18-34 who are residing in developing countries.
Asked how her work with UNICEF has enriched her personal life, the model says it helps her to put her own life in perspective. “I could be one of the kids in Ethiopia,” she says. “I compare it to myself and my husband Marcus. Everyday we think about those kids in Ethiopia.”
On a lighter note, we asked Maya about her hobbies including basketball. “Who wins when the two of you play?” “I always win,” Maya says with a smile, “but you have to ask [Marcus]. He should tell you about it.” In the couples interview last summer Marcus confirmed her side of the story. “She kicks my ass in basketball!” Marcus told Glamour magazine. “Also, Maya translates so much for me—not just words, but culturally. When my sisters call with a problem, she takes the phone. I can’t give advice—unless it’s about cooking. Before Maya, my primary relationship was with food. Luckily, she loves to eat!”
Below is part of Tigist Selam’s conversation with Model Maya Haile at home in Harlem.
Watch: Tadias’ Interview With Model Maya Haile
Tigist Selam interviewed Maya Haile at home in Harlem on Tuesday
June 15, 2010. (Video by Kidane Films)
— About the Author:
Tseday Alehegn is the Editor-in-Chief of Tadias Magazine.
Watch Related Tadias Video: Video – Tadias’ Interview with Meklit Hadero
Tadias spoke with Meklit Hadero last week following her recent performance at Le Poisson Rouge in New York.
Tadias Magazine
By Kidane Mariam and Tigist Selam
Updated: Sunday, June 6, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Tadias TV caught up with Meklit Hadero during her recent concert at Le Poisson Rouge in New York on June 1st.
The Manhattan appearance was a homecoming of sorts for Hadero, who spent part of her childhood in Brooklyn. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science before settling in San Francisco where she launched her music career in 2004.
The Ethiopian native, who left Addis Ababa as a toddler, tells Tadias she plans to return to Addis later this year to perform at an Afro-Roots concert. Her debut album On A Day Like This has garnered national attention with repeated highlights on NPR. Reviewers have compared her sound to that of Music legends Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell.
WATCH: Video: Tadias’ Interview with Meklit Hadero
Above:Haile Gerima discusses the difficulties of independent
film production at an event designed to mark TEZA’s New York
debut. (Photo by Kidane Mariam for Tadias.com)
Tadias TV
By Kidane Mariam
Monday, April 12, 2010
New York (Tadias) – Haile Gerima, the internationally acclaimed director of Teza, Adwa, Bush Mama and Sankofa, hosted a discussion on the challenges of independent film-making here in New York.
The public discourse was part of a series of events designed to promote the release of Gerima’s latest film Teza.
The Q & A session, moderated by Tigist Selam, was held on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute.
Teza opened in Manhattan on Friday, April 2, at Lincoln Plaza Cinema.
The award-winning film uses the power of memory and flashbacks to recount the historical circumstances that have framed the context in which contemporary Ethiopia exists.
Tadias TV attended the event. Here are video highlights.
Watch: Haile Gerima On The Challenges of Independent Filmmaking
Tadias TV Above photo by Jeffrey Phipps for Tadias Magazine
Updated: Saturday, January 3, 2009
New York (Tadias) – Here is an updated video of Yohannes Gebregeorgis, one of the Top Ten CNN Heroes of 2008, at Cafe Addis in Harlem, NYC. The event took place on Saturday, December 13, 2008.
Above: Inside Amsale Aberra's store in Manhattan. Tadias
Magazine's interview with the designer will be posted soon.
