Jackie Kennedy’s Iconic Wedding Dress Designer – Ann Lowe

Anne Lowe: The Story Behind Jackie Kennedy’s Iconic Wedding Dress

Jackie Auchincloss-Bouvier’s iconic wedding dress worn at her marriage to John F. Kennedy was one of the most important bridal gowns of the 20th century. But while people around the globe fawned over the dress, very few knew who designed it. Fashion inspires all of us and when there is a monumental wedding such as the Kennedy’s or the royal family in England everyone wants to know…who is behind the iconic design that will be cherished and replicated forever. But sadly, the designer of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown received no recognition or fame…until now. Today, we’re honoring Ann Lowe- an incredible fashion designer and proud African American woman.

There are so many secrets when it comes to the high and mighty. We do not care to know some of them; others we should have learned from the very beginning, like Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress designer. That dress was so popular, and it was talked about for a very long time. Another thing that was talked about was how beautiful Jackie Kennedy looked in it. However, a very important detail was missed during the conversations, and that was the Ann Lowe part of the conversation.

Image Source: HighFashionPassion.com

When Kennedy was asked about the designer of that dress, because sincerely everyone wanted to know who created that magic, she replied, “A colored dressmaker did it.” Yep! That’s what she said. No name, simply that a colored dressmaker made it. I guess we should be grateful and happy that she “allowed” a colored woman to design the most important piece of clothing she would ever wear. Maybe? But honestly, maybe Jackie didn’t know that her wedding dress would become such an icon? Racial tensions were certainly much different in 1953 than they are now, but still, we can’t wrap our heads around why Ann Lowe was kept a secret.  Jaqueline Bouvier (later to be known as Jackie Kennedy) completely omitted her name and took away greatness from the uber-talented Ann Lowe.

You would expect that as the dress gained popularity, the designer would too, but that was not the case. the Dear Lowe was left to vanish into obscurity while her dress and the wearer got all the spotlight. Maybe what added to this was that this happened in 1953. Because if it happened now, ten Instagram drags and a hashtag that looks like this #supportblackbusinesses or #creditannelowe would have done the job.

Image Source: TownandCountryMagazine.com

Anne Lowe was called society’s “Best kept secret, “maybe that is a code name for a racially discriminated black woman deprived of glory for her works. Because she suffered a lot of racial discrimination in the industry, she has since gotten the fame she deserves, but she deserves more, especially as some of the iconic designs were simply relegated to the work of a “Colored dressmaker.” I mean! Come on! She has a name!

As told by people these days, history seems to forget important events and people, especially if they are people of color. The good thing is, now we are telling these stories and giving people the credit they deserve. This is about giving Anne Lowe her due because up until 2019, when someone made a tweet in honor of Lowe, citing her design and the fact that she was relegated to the background, so many people did not know. So, here we are making sure that wherever Jackie Kennedy’s iconic dress is googled by a bride seeking to remake the design, Anne Lowe’s name and the story come up as well.

First, The Designer

Anne Lowe was born in Alabama into a family of seamstresses. Her mother, a seamstress who catered to the social elites, died in 1914, and Lowe, who was just 16 at the time, immediately took over for her. One of the dresses Lowe designed at the time was for the First Lady of Alabama. This propelled her into the world of the social elites, the one percent of the one percent.

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She went on to S.T. Taylor Design school, Newyork. While there, she faced racial discrimination so hard that she worked away from other students. Talent can, however, not be hidden for so long because even from her small corner where she worked away from the other students, her designs made it to the front of the class. She was often used as an example to other students.

She opened her own fashion store, which she called Lowe gowns after she got her diploma, and her client list had the names of the high and the mighty.

She had an interview with Ebony in 1966, where she said, “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.”

You would often find names as heavy as the Roosevelts, the Du Ponts, and the Rockefellers on her list of clients.

Then, The Dress

So, how did this dress story begin? It began with Jackie’s sister, Lee Bouvier. Bouvier was about to get married, and she needed a dress, so she went to the market. She found and hired Lowe to design her wedding dress, however that did not quite work out as planned. It happened that another designer heard that Bouvier wanted a wedding dress and had gone to Lowe and came up with a bright idea to stop that from happening. She contacted the family and told them that she could design for less. At this point, you would wonder why money was a factor for a family of that caliber, but Lowe was dropped, and this lady was picked. In the end, the creation cost more than what Lowe had offered. That was how the Journey to being Kennedy’s designer began because the family soon realized that they had made a mistake. When Kennedy needed a dress, Lowe was contacted immediately.

Lowe had to design both the bride’s and the bridesmaids’ dresses, and everything was done to utter perfection, especially the portrait neckline, ivory tissue silk wedding dress, which had wax flowers designed with the heirloom rose point veil. It was a magnificent dress. Perhaps that was not what was most amazing about the dress. What was breathtaking about the entire process was a secret Anne Lowe kept from the family.

In her New York showroom, a pipe had burst and destroyed the dresses she had spent eight weeks creating. Instead of going to the family, Lowe got to work and created the dresses again, all of them, in one week.

She ended up losing about $2000, which makes the fact that she was relegated to the background a little more annoying. Imagine losing money while creating an iconic wedding dress, and then when the dress gathers some fame, your name is faded into obscurity.

Image Source: Google

Oh well, such has been the story for many brilliant and talented people of color. Lowe was called the “Society’s best-kept secret,” Right? That should be enough, shouldn’t it? Hell NO! When you design something your name should be on it, connected to it, and credited for it. And especially when what you create becomes an iconic figure in fashion.

She never became a household name, but she designed it for people who became household names. She would declare bankruptcy in 1962, and someone would pay off that debt to the IRS. People believe Kennedy was who did that.

Today, we are making sure that the world never speaks of high-class fashion without mentioning her name again. The iconic wedding dress that Jackie Kennedy wore was designed by a colored woman called Anne Lowe. Remember her name. Shout her name! Celebrate her name! Be inspired by her name, her struggles, and her journey.