Abby Kheir has turned a small clothing store she opened as a 21-year-old into a multimillion-dollar empire, with the likes of Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Sofia Richie sporting her figure-hugging designs.
The 42-year-old blonde beauty is the CEO and chief designer of Abyss by Abby, which started in 1999 as a little-known outlet selling other labels’ clothes in Sydney.
Abby noted there was a lack of quality brands with eye-catching, iconic dresses for sale at the time, but she didn’t have any experience in the design field herself – so she decided to learn.
Abby Kheir (pictured) has turned a small clothing store she opened as a 21-year-old into a multimillion-dollar empire called Abyss by Abby
The likes of Khloe Kardashian (left), Kylie Jenner and Sofia Richie (right) are sporting her sexy designs
‘I taught myself fashion design so I could sell the products I actually wanted to sell. I had a fashion vision that no other designer was fulfilling. I wasn’t going to sit around until somebody else created the dresses I wanted to sell,’ Abby told FEMAIL.
‘I took matters into my own hands and took responsibility for the creative side of my business, on top of the business side. The business was originally called Abyss, but we changed it to Abyss by Abby after I started designing my own designs.’
Her famous cut-out dresses and striking fabrics have caught the attention of celebrities like Madison Beer, Adriana Lima, Nicole Scherzinger and Larsa Pippen, who have worn them to Hollywood award nights and parties.
Having always had a ‘passion’ for sexy clothing that grabs people’s attention, Abby was happy to give her customers something more than just ‘cute and uncontroversial’.
‘That’s not really my style. Bold women need bold dresses,’ Abby said.
‘I taught myself fashion design so I could sell the products I actually wanted to sell,’ she said (one of her striking designs pictured)
‘My clothing appeals to confident women who aren’t afraid to be the centre of attention,’ she said (Kylie Jenner pictured left and Adriana Lima pictured right in Abyss by Abby designs)
Abby (pictured), who is now based in Los Angeles, believes this is likely the reason confident women like the Kardashian sisters have been so drawn to her products, which retail from $99.95
‘My clothing appeals to confident women who aren’t afraid to be the centre of attention. The women who wear my dresses want to make a statement.’
Abby, who is now based in Los Angeles, believes this is likely the reason confident women like the Kardashian sisters have been so drawn to her products, which retail from $99.95.
Abby’s desire to be a successful businesswoman and showcase the female form is a rejection of the conservative Arabic community that she belonged to growing up.
Khloe Kardashian (left) and her mother Kris Jenner (right) wearing Abyss by Abby designs
Striking! Madison Beer (left), Adriana Lima, Eva Longoria and Larsa Pippen (right), have worn the designs to Hollywood award nights and parties
But her father encouraged Abby to realise her dreams and walk away from anything that didn’t align with her values.
‘I credit a lot of my success to my dad. It would have been really easy for him to copy a lot of the other fathers in our community. But he didn’t,’ she said.
‘He was a firm believer that a woman can be a mother and have a successful career at the same time. I’ve used my dad’s motivation at every point in my career.’
And the sheer determination has paid off, with the Abyss by Abby Instagram page generating an 836,000 person following – with everyone from A-listers to girls looking for a formal gown buying her wears.
And the sheer determination has paid off, with the Abyss by Abby Instagram page generating an 836,000 person following (one of her latest designs pictured)
She has a secondary page – Abyss by Abby dolls – that shares images of these women in her dresses (pictured)
She has a secondary page – Abyss by Abby dolls – that shares images of these women in her dresses. There are almost 2,000 images.
‘Women do not need to apologise for being the centre attention, or wearing something that makes them stand out,’ Abby said.
‘If you’re not comfortable with a strong woman wearing an eye-catching dress, that’s your problem.’