Fashion History 101 | Anne Lowe

By Victoria Waang

If you love vintage fashion, you’ve probably seen this photo before…

But do you know the fashion designer behind this gorgeous bridal moment?

Ann Lowe is America’s first Black couture designer. She is also the first Black designer to open a store on Madison Avenue in Manhattan.

Floral motifs and 3D floral designs were Lowe’s design signature. As well as hand-beading and the quilting method known as “trapunto.”

I particularly love the 3D florals.

Lowe was definitive about her clients and the people who wore her gowns. As a result, her primary customers consisted of affluent society women. Lowe's designs were highly sought-after by the elite East Coast Social Register from the 1920s until the early 1960s, with the late 1940s and 1950s being the peak of her career as a fashion designer.

Lowe descended from a family of dressmakers and seamstresses who catered to Southern society women. When she was 16 years old, her mother died suddenly, leaving Lowe to complete her mother’s final commission and take over the family business. During a regular shopping trip in Alabama, Lowe met Josephine Edwards Lee, a Florida socialite who admired her custom outfit and asked her to move to Tampa, Florida to become her family's live-in dressmaker. Lowe accepted the offer and moved to Tampa with her young son. This fateful event was a turning point in her life as her new employer, Mrs. Lee, had faith in her abilities and sent her to the S.T. Taylor School of Design in New York City in 1917. Even though it was a segregated school, Lowe attended classes and became recognized by her professors for her talent. Her designs were so extraordinary that they became examples for other students.

Upon returning to Florida, Lowe would open her first atelier. From 1919 to 1928, she was the go-to dressmaker in Tampa for society women. Eventually, Lowe would return to New York City and open a new atelier in Harlem. Despite a recession, Lowe accepted commissions from loyal Tampa clients and luxury fashion retailers such as Chez Sonia and Henri Bendel.

Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland wore a Lowe gown for Sonia in 1946. Unfortunately, it was commissioner Sonia and not Lowe who immediately received credit for the dress. However, Lowe was developing a prestigious reputation and was sent to Paris to report on the fall 1949 fashion shows. Reporting on the fall collections in Paris put Lowe in direct contact with couturiers like Christian Dior.

The Junon dress, also known as the ‘petal dress’ from Dior’s Fall 1949 collection, would have been one of the many confections that Lowe saw during her revolutionary trip to the Parisian capital.

What’s important to note here is that Lowe’s very act of designing confronted institutional racism, and she fought injustice during her life through her immense talent.

In 1950, Lowe and her now-grown son opened an additional New York atelier and serviced some of the most distinguished families in the country. From the Lincolns, Rockefellers, and more – Lowe specialized in debutante gowns. When the debutantes would become engaged, they would specifically request Lowe for their bridal gowns. The most famous bridal gown by Lowe was for Jacqueline Bouvier’s wedding in her marriage to John F. Kennedy.

Despite having a growing list of clients, Lowe's profits were frequently impacted as commissioners tried to negotiate lower prices. This often resulted in Lowe paying her entire staff and having little left for herself. One of the most noteworthy examples of this was Jaqueline (Bouvier) Kennedy's wedding dress, which would become one of the most iconic bridal gowns of the 20th century. Lowe and her team worked on the silk taffeta gown and 15 coinciding bridal party gowns for months. However, just days before the wedding, a leak from Lowe's studio caused a flood that ruined most of the gowns, including the bridal dress. Instead of informing her client, Lowe hired more help and finished the dresses in record time. Unfortunately, instead of making a profit, Lowe lost a great deal of money. To make matters worse, a worker at the wedding venue asked Lowe to use the servant's entrance to deliver the gowns. Lowe refused and threatened to leave with the dresses, but was eventually allowed entry through the front door.

To say that Lowe’s design was a success would be an understatement. Jacqueline Bouvier and then-Senator John F. Kennedy’s wedding was a high society event splashed on every media outlet in the country. Yet, only one media outlet mentioned anything about the bridal gown. Lowe was not credited for her design and would not receive credit for Kennedy’s bridal gown after many years. A now-infamous article in Ladies Home Journal while Kennedy was First Lady of the United States mentioned her bridal gown in a very controversial way. Kennedy described Lowe as a ‘colored woman’ as opposed to a fashion designer. Lowe would eventually see this article and write a letter to Kennedy where she expressed how hurtful the comment was and detailed to FLOTUS how she would prefer to be titled. Kennedy’s secretary would later call and apologize to Lowe on Kennedy’s behalf, stating that the journalist and outlet were to blame. Lowe would hold no ill will against Kennedy, and the two parties would seemingly move on from the unsavory situation.

In 1958, Lowe's son passed away, and her business began to struggle since he managed the financial side of things, whereas Lowe was responsible for the creative work. As a result, Lowe had to shut down her atelier. Later, she developed glaucoma, and in 1963 she underwent eye surgery. Unfortunately, things didn't improve for her, and she had to be hospitalized. However, an anonymous donor cleared her business' back taxes, and Lowe believed it was First Lady Kennedy who helped her out. This allowed her to partner with Sak's Fifth Avenue and create a Debut and Bridal Collection, which didn't turn out to be a fair deal for her. The partnership didn't last long. Lowe also suffered from cataracts in her left eye, which made her situation worse. Luckily, a kind doctor helped her with the costly surgery, and she was able to design again in 1964. She teamed up with Florence Powell to establish A.F. Chantilly INC. Lowe designed gowns, while Powell created sportswear and hats. Sadly, their business did not thrive, and it closed just one year later, mainly due to Lowe's eyesight issues. Only her left eye was functional, and it was even more sensitive and strained after the cataract surgery.

In her later years, Ann Lowe became more open to publicity. In 1966, Ebony Magazine published an editorial feature that provided a detailed account of Lowe's life and work, including previously unseen images from her personal life. During her retirement, Lowe conducted numerous interviews which further increased her recognition. She spent her remaining years with her adopted daughter and passed away in 1981. After her death, her designs were donated to various museums across the United States. Due to their limited availability and uniqueness, Lowe's gowns are incredibly rare to find. Unfortunately, museum collections, especially those featuring fashion, often lack diversity in their representation of BIPOC designers. Therefore, sharing stories like Ann Lowe's is essential in raising awareness and promoting change in the fashion industry.

I am grateful for my friend Naheemah Azor of Looks by Naheemah. Her exceptional editing skills and unwavering encouragement have been the pillars of support throughout this project. I would not have been able to create this post and subsequent video without her. It's an absolute privilege to call such a brilliant artist and exemplary woman my friend. I cannot thank her enough for everything she has done. Follow Naheemah here!