When Esé Grembowski moved to Dallas to pursue a master’s degree in accounting at SMU, she had no idea the city would be where she’d find her voice, and her future, in fashion. “This was the first time I was on my own, not living under my parents’ roof,” says the Nigerian-born, Canada-raised designer. “I realized it was my chance to take a leap of faith and really pursue my fashion dreams.”
Grembowski has been designing dresses since the age of eight, creating her first garment before most kids had mastered tying their shoes. But her Nigerian upbringing emphasized academic achievement in more traditional fields. “My parents were very focused on education,” she says. “They wanted me to do something in the medical or financial field, so I chose accounting. But fashion was always my God-given gift.”
After just one semester at SMU, Grembowski made a bold choice: she left her graduate program and devoted herself full-time to design. Drawing on her multicultural background—including her childhood in Nigeria, upbringing in Canada, time spent in London, and international travels—she developed a distinct aesthetic rooted in global influences.
“In Nigeria, we celebrate even the smallest holiday with the brightest colors, beading, and intricate fabrics,” she says. “Even though my designs are not 100% African-inspired, those early influences still guide me.”
Grembowski’s design process is grounded in storytelling. Each new collection begins with a single word: an emotion or symbol that anchors her vision. “It helps keep the collection focused and intentional. From there, we design custom fabrics, refine silhouettes, and reinvent classics.”
This fall, Grembowski will showcase her latest evening and bridal collections at New York Fashion Week in September and New York Bridal Fashion Week in October—an annual highlight the Esé Azénabor team looks forward to with great excitement.
While she still adores designing evening wear, bridal has become the beating heart of her brand. “I didn’t expect to fall into bridal, but I feel so blessed that I did,” Grembowski says. “It’s the greatest feeling to be trusted with the moment a woman has dreamed about since she was a little girl.”
That trust is something Grembowski never takes for granted. “One day I won’t be here, but that photo of a bride in her gown? That stays,” she says. “Maybe her daughter or granddaughter pulls it out and alters it for her own big day. It becomes part of a family’s story.”
This year, as she celebrates a decade of her brand, Grembowski steps into a new chapter with the opening of a 7,000-square-foot showroom in the Park Cities. With locations in Dallas and New York, and gowns carried in more than 26 boutiques worldwide, her reach is growing—but her mission stays the same: to help women feel powerful, beautiful, and unforgettable.