A Stitch in Time

- by Erica

Quick! Who wore the most photographed wedding dress in history? As some of you already know, it was Jacqueline Bouvier when she married John F. Kennedy. But did you know that the the person who made that world-famous gown was African-American designer Ann Lowe? Lowe (pictured on the left) was born in Alabama in 1898. Her mother designed clothes for the wife of the Governor of Alabama. Ann followed in her footsteps by designing for other wealthy ladies in the area. But in the early 1900's she enrolled in beauty school in New York. Later, she worked on commission for upscale stores and designed for several upper-crust New Yorkers. In 1946 she designed the dress that actress Olivia de Havilland wore when she accepted her Academy Award. But she's best known for this ivory, silk, and taffeta creation:



It's the gown Miss Bouvier chose for her 1953 nuptials to the future president. Toast and Strawberries has a fantastic description of the dress and the wedding.



Now, more than a half century later, the dress is housed in the Kennedy Library in Boston, MA. So, now you know the story. Keep an eye out for our upcoming series on today's African and African-American wedding gown designers.