Gaby
Fate threw plenty of challenges at her, knocking her off the pedestal her talent and determination had placed her on.
It’s no coincidence wealthy women dreamed of her dresses. Ann Cole Lowe (1898-1981) had a rare gift for taming luxurious fabrics and for understanding the needs of demanding clients. Her elegant creations often used the intricate “trapunto” technique, a practice dating back to medieval Italy. She also adorned her dresses with original fabric flowers.
The Secret Snob
Despite being revered as a pioneer among American designers, Ann Lowe’s name rarely came up at society events. Today, no one would bat an eye at the fact that the designer was African American. But during her career things were very different.
In the 1960s one prominent publication called Ann “perhaps society’s best-kept secret,” a sign that her name could no longer be hidden.
Ann was proud of her reputation and even called herself a “terrible snob.” She had long decided her clients would be the upper echelon; she designed for high society. Her path to success was full of challenges — a classic American success story.
Born into a family of former slaves in Alabama, she inherited sewing from her grandmother and mother, who ran a tailor shop. At 16, after she became an orphan, Ann sewed her first dresses for the state’s First Lady and took over the family business. A few years later the talented 19-year-old was accepted into the New York School of Design — a breakthrough. Because of her race, she studied separately from other students, many of whom couldn’t match her skill.
She first gained recognition among Florida’s elite, spending ten years making dresses in her own atelier. Eventually she returned to New York and found wider success. Her studio made clothes for women from billionaire families, aristocrats, socialites, famed musicians, and Academy Award nominees.
Ann Lowe in her studio
Jacqueline’s Fateful Dress
In 1953 Ann Lowe was commissioned to create the wedding dress for Jacqueline Bouvier, who would soon be Jacqueline Kennedy and the First Lady. The Bouvier family already knew Lowe’s work, so they chose her without hesitation. Few people looking at photos of the 20th century’s most famous couple realize the dramas behind the making of the bride’s gown.
Jacqueline Kennedy in her wedding dress
For the ivory masterpiece Lowe used more than 45 yards of silk taffeta — the length of an entire bolt. That much fabric was needed for the many patterned pleats on the bodice and skirt. A dramatic neckline gently revealed the 24-year-old bride’s shoulders.
Ten days before the wedding, the studio where Lowe’s team had been working on Jacqueline’s dress for two months flooded. The seamstresses had to salvage the ruined masterpiece and restore the other dresses for their high-society clients. The disaster cost Lowe the equivalent of $21,000 in today’s money. Yet when the Kennedy wedding was broadcast to the world, not a single reporter mentioned the dressmaker’s name.
Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress, created by Ann Lowe
Maybe it was envy from competitors. Or perhaps it was the cost of Lowe’s own snobbery — her insistence on dressing only high society, and a reflection of the era’s racial and class divides.
Over time her story grew more tragic. In the early 1960s she declared bankruptcy and lost her workshop to tax problems. Rumors said she was unable to manage her business. Adding to her misfortunes, doctors removed her right eye after a sudden diagnosis of glaucoma, and she later nearly lost vision in her left eye as well.
Amid this dark period, a ray of hope appeared: an anonymous benefactor paid off the designer’s debts. Many suspected Jacqueline Kennedy was behind the gesture, though it has never been confirmed.
Ann Cole Lowe retired from her work in 1972. Today her exquisite dresses appear in leading museum exhibitions around the world, inspiring new generations of designers.
We invite you into the enchanting world of Ann Cole Lowe—a gallery of her magnificent dresses. Click on any image to view it in full screen.
