Perhaps what is even more anticipated than an actual celebrity wedding dress is the fashion designer bestowed the honor to create it. Celebrity brides have become synonymous with their bridal counterparts—Meghan Markle in Givenchy, Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen. Yet, there's one dressmaker who hasn't received nearly enough credit for her work: Ann Lowe, the designer who made Jackie Kennedy's bridal gown in 1953.
While Kennedy's ivory portrait-neckline dress quickly skyrocketed into bridal fame, Lowe received no recognition. In fact, when reporters later asked Kennedy who designed her gown she reportedly answered with "a colored dressmaker did it."
But once labeled society's "best-kept secret," we argue that Lowe and her talents shouldn't have been a secret at all. In the decades since she has become more of a prominent name in the fashion industry, yet her fame is long overdue. A trailblazer in the fashion industry, she faced racial discrimination throughout her career, and if her creations go down in history, her name, her work and her legacy shall too.
Here, we remember Lowe's career and influence because a couturier of her caliber should never go unnoticed.
A Seamstress From the Start
Turns out, fashion and dressmaking were in Lowe's blood since birth. Born in 1898, both her mother and grandmother were accomplished seamstresses in Alabama and after her mother passed away in 1914, Lowe—at 16 years old—took her place, per the National Museum of American History. One of her first commissions was for the First Lady of Alabama. She even left her first husband to pursue her dressmaking dreams.
Three years later, a young Lowe enrolled in New York's S.T. Taylor Design School. Racial segregation practices separated her from other students, forcing her to study and work in her own space. Yet, her creations were constantly shown to the class and used an example in expert craftsmanship. After receiving her diploma, Lowe began designing and creating customs gowns for a high-class clientele.
I love my clothes and I'm particular about who wears them.
In 1966, she would later tell Ebony, "I love my clothes and I'm particular about who wears them. I am not interested in sewing for cafe society or social climbers. I do not cater to Mary and Sue. I sew for the families of the Social Register."
Her Most Famous Creation
While Lowe designed for elite families such as the du Ponts, the Roosevelts and the Rockefellers, her most famous client was Jacqueline Kennedy, née Bouvier. Their relationship began when Jackie's sister, Lee Bouvier, was in the market for a wedding gown. Lee originally hired Lowe to create her dress but later canceled the order when another designer, Pauline Trigère, claimed she would cost less. In the end, Trigère's creation cost the family more, making Lowe the obvious choice when it came time for Jackie to walk down the aisle.
Lowe was tasked with designing both the wedding dress and bridesmaids' dresses for the Kennedy wedding. The final product put her talents on full display: an ivory tissue-silk dress, with a portrait neckline and bouffant skirt with wax flowers paired with an heirloom rose-point lace veil. Books like What Jackie Taught Us claimthe future first lady wanted a simpler, sleeker gown but Julia Faye Smith, author of Ann Lowe's biographySomething to Prove, told ELLE, "Ann did like to please her clients though, and I know she would have wanted the bride to be happy with her gown. Ann reported conferring with the bride on the design and colors for others in the wedding party, so Jackie probably had some say in the design of her own gown."
But in perhaps what is an even greater display of her skills, Lowe had to recreate the bridal gown and pink taffeta bridesmaids' dressesjust a week before the nuptials due to a pipe burst in her New York showroom that destroyed eight weeks of work (ten gowns, to be exact). The seamstress and her team worked tirelessly to remake each gown—the bridal gown was recreated in just five days—all without telling the bride. The unfortunate accident turned Lowe's expected $700 profit to a $2,200 loss, another fact she kept to herself.
On September 12, 1953, Lowe arrived in Newport, Rhode Island to hand-deliver the gowns to the bridal party. And when staff at the front door told her to enter through the back, she firmly replied, "I'll take the dresses back [to New York]" if she had to go through the back door and marched through the front door instead.
An Esteemed, Yet Nameless Career
As millions of Americans admired the pomp and circ*mstance of the Kennedy wedding, Lowe's name was left out of the narrative. But that was not the first time Lowe went without credit, and unfortunately wasn't the last, either. She created Olivia de Havilland's 1947 Oscar gown (the actress ended up winning Best Actress that year), yet, Lowe's name was not on the label.
Sewing was her lifeblood. It was her gift, but also her being. She just wanted to sew. She just wanted to make beautiful dresses that gave her clients joy.
In fact, she never became a household name like Dior or Chanel, and it almost feels like the social elite of the day wanted to keep it that way. "Everything is so perfect—and she didn't charge enough for the cost of the fabrics or the handwork that went into them," explained Nancy Davis, a curator at the National Museum of History. "Sewing was her lifeblood. It was her gift, but also her being. She just wanted to sew. She just wanted to make beautiful dresses that gave her clients joy." Later, when she declared bankruptcy in 1962, many believed that Kennedy was the anonymous benefactor who paid Lowe's debt to the IRS.
Over the course of her career, Lowe designed for retailers like Neiman Marcus and Henri Bendel and opened three salons in Florida and New York, named "Annie Cohen," "Ann Lowe's Gowns" and "Ann Lowe's Originals," respectively.
Lowe's Legacy
Take one look at a Lowe gown and it is clear that her skill with a needle and her eye for detail was unmatched. "The quality of this dress? Unbelievable," said Davis of a 1967 debutante gown by Lowe. "All the seams are lined with lace. There's an amazingly complex interior structure that the dress is built around—the slip and bra are built in. According to [the client], the fit is absolutely glorious—it's like your skin. The slip has tulle along the hem, which gives it shape. This kind of really detailed, really high-end work is very time-intensive."
The talented designer passed away in 1981 but we remember her as more than just the woman who designed Kennedy's wedding dress. She was the first Black woman to become a distinguished fashion designer, subsequently paving the way for the talented men and women who came after her.
The September 12, 1953 nuptials of Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis (née Bouvier) to then US senator John F. Kennedy lives on in history as a homegrown fairy tale (or de facto royal) wedding, down to Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress made by African American couturier Ann Lowe.
The September 12, 1953 nuptials of Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis (née Bouvier) to then US senator John F. Kennedy lives on in history as a homegrown fairy tale (or de facto royal) wedding, down to Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress made by African American couturier Ann Lowe.
Ann Lowe, Black Designer Of Jackie Kennedy's Wedding Dress, Finally Getting Long Overdue Recognition. BOSTON (CBS) - It was Newport, September 1953. The centerpiece of the wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier and Senator John F. Kennedy was a dress fit for a princess, a classic Ann Lowe.
Ann Lowe will likely be best remembered for creating the 1953 wedding gown and bridal party dresses for Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, even though Lowe did not receive any public acknowledgment at the time.
According to fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, who is the author of the recently released book “The Way We Wed: A Global History of Wedding Fashion,” Kennedy was no fan of the dress she wore to walk down the aisle.
And seeing as Cassini was the creative mind behind First Lady and style icon Jacqueline Kennedy, his perspective is one you want to understand. Oleg Aleksandrovich Cassini was born in 1913 in Paris, France to the Russian Count and Countess Loiewski-Cassini.
Fashion historians credit Coco Chanel with popularizing the "little black dress" as haute couture in the 1920s. According to The Atlantic, an October 1926 issue of Vogue featured a sketch of a black, long-sleeved sheath dress made by Coco Chanel.
The garment is now stored out of public view in the National Archives. It will not be seen by the public until at least 2103, according to a deed of Caroline Kennedy, Kennedy's sole surviving heir. At that time, when the 100-year deed expires, the Kennedy family descendants will renegotiate the matter.
On the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Jackie Kennedy wore a replica of a pink Chanel suit. Today, the suit is in a vault inside the National Archives building in College Park, Maryland. It will remain hidden from public view for another 80 years.
The Queen welcomed President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie Kennedy for a visit in 1961. Both women posed in differing shades of blue, while the monarch chose a darker-toned tulle ballgown and white opera gloves for the affair.
The fabricated flowers that adorned these dresses and many of Lowe's creations were inspired by the days of her childhood spent folding her mother's seamstressing scraps into roses. Born in Clayton, Alabama in 1898, Lowe came from a family of seamstresses.
After graduating in 1919, Lowe and her son moved to Tampa, Florida. The following year, she opened her first dress salon. The salon catered to members of high society and quickly became a success. Having saved $20,000 from her earnings, Lowe returned to New York City in 1928.
Kennedy, was assassinated. On the fateful day of November 22, 1963, Jackie famously wore a pink Chanel suit—at the time, it was imperative that First Ladies wore clothing made in America. The ensemble was made of boucle fabric, with a navy lapel and gold buttons.
I nodded and watched as she moved close to the President's body. 'She leaned across him to reach for his left hand, removed his wedding ring and placed it on one of her fingers, and then she simply held her husband's hand in a final goodbye.
He had no way of knowing what was about to happen. It's been reported that Jack's final words were, “My God, I've been hit,” but physicians have said this was impossible given Jack's injuries. Well, historians have now clarified that the last words Jack spoke before the fatal shot were, “No, you certainly can't.”
Willi Smith was considered one of the most successful African-American designers in the fashion industry at the time of his death in 1987, and the inventor of streetwear.
Dapper Dan, the iconic Harlem designer who dressed the biggest names in music in the 1980s and 90s and then launched his own fashion line with Gucci in 2017, is now being honored with one of the most prestigious awards in fashion.
Jackie loved to wear Oleg Cassini, Hubert de Givenchy and Christian Dior. Her chic ensembles — think A-line dresses, pastel suits, pearls and gloves — easily translated to modern American women.
Fashion historians ascribe the origins of the little black dress to the 1920s designs of Coco Chanel. It is intended to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, and widely accessible. Its ubiquity is such that it is often simply referred to as the "LBD".
After her husband's assassination, Jackie Kennedy continued to be a fashion icon and was often photographed in elegant and sophisticated attire. She was known for her love of designer clothing and was often seen wearing high-end brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Halston, and Oscar de la Renta.
The pink Chanel knock-off suit Jacqueline Kennedy wore on that historic day in Dallas in 1963 currently resides in an environmentally controlled storage facility in Maryland, complete with its blood stains.
New York makeup artist Pablo Manzoni told Vanity Fair in 1995 that Onassis often used the iconic Elizabeth Arden's Flawless Foundation. The foundation covered up the sunspots she had gotten from her many summers in Rhode Island, France, and Greece and made the former first lady's skin look fresh.
She enjoyed a successful career in publishing until her death on May 19, 1994. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was laid to rest beside President Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, DC.
Q: Why did First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy climb onto the back of the car after the shooting? A: Jacqueline Kennedy climbed on the back of the car to retrieve fragments from the president's head, though she had no memory of it afterward.
Was Queen Elizabeth at JFK's funeral? The queen did not attend JFK's funeral for several reasons. It is very rare for the queen to attend a funeral. And, at the time of JFK's funeral, the queen was several months pregnant with Prince Edward.
"They had a good relationship. I know that the press has sometimes written it otherwise, but that's not really true. The relationship was friendly, more warm than it was cold," Hill says, referring to the oft-repeated narrative that the two women didn't get along.
This dress was once worn by Queen Victoria (1819-1901) of the United Kingdom, as documented in an 1894 photograph of the Queen holding her great-grandson, Edward VIII (1894-1972).
While Jackie loved French designers like Christian Dior, Balenciaga and Givenchy, she mostly wore Cassini's American-made couture, which shaped the “Jackie Look” that American women emulated in droves.
In November 1960, Jackie Kennedy created the Jackie Look from her hospital bed, with a little help from friends and a lot of help from Oleg Cassini. She was weak and bedridden, having just given birth to her son, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr., by Caesarian section.
After the 1960 election, she commissioned family friend Oleg Cassini, a French-born American fashion designer, to construct an entire original wardrobe for her tenure as First Lady. It was at this time that the “Jackie” look was established.
The design for the suit was pulled directly from Chanel's Fall/Winter 1961 collection. However, as first ladies were typically expected to wear clothing made in the United States, a replica of the suit was made for Kennedy by Park Avenue fashion house Chez Ninon, according to The New York Times.
Inventive, opinionated and commercially minded, Mary Quant (1930 – 2023) was the most iconic fashion designer of the 1960s. A design and retail pioneer, she popularised super-high hemlines and other irreverent looks that were critical to the development of the 'Swinging Sixties' scene.
In 1960 Oleg Cassini was named personal couturier by Mrs. Kennedy, launching the Jackie look in 1961. He was awarded the Chicago Gold Coast Award for Excellence in Design.
Initially named the "Fifties Constance," the new name was coined once Jackie Kennedy was famously photographed holding the purse to her face after running into the paparazzi.
Immediately, comparisons were drawn to another infamous political pink suit, worn by Jackie Kennedy the day her husband, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. On the fateful day of November 22, 1963, Jackie famously wore a pink Chanel suit—at the time, it was imperative that First Ladies wore clothing made in America.
From then on, McKeon began to follow Jackie's strict regimen: a boiled egg and tea for breakfast, cottage cheese with fresh fruit at lunch, and a poached chicken breast or fish, with a salad or steamed vegetables for dinner (with plain yogurt to snack on when she was hungry).
If there's one thing Jackie popularized, it's a shift dress. She made the silhouette a quintessential one for first ladies, with Michelle Obama and French First Lady Brigitte Macron taking inspiration from the style many years later.
Her 1961 inauguration hairdo, the bouffant, defined by the Oxford Dictionary, as [hair] “styled so as to stand out from the head in a rounded shape,” from the French word for 'swelling,' swept the nation in popularity.
"They had a good relationship. I know that the press has sometimes written it otherwise, but that's not really true. The relationship was friendly, more warm than it was cold," Hill says, referring to the oft-repeated narrative that the two women didn't get along.
Soon after she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1994, she died in her New York City apartment. After a funeral at St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church on Park Avenue, she was buried in Arlington National Cemetery beside John F. Kennedy and the two children who had predeceased them.
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