Jacqueline Bouvier married John F. Kennedy in a ceremony that would be remembered for its elegance and grandeur.
However, behind the scenes, not everything was as picture-perfect as it seemed.
Throughout history, certain wedding dresses have become timeless symbols of elegance and style. Grace Kelly‘s regal gown, designed by Helen Rose, remains a beacon of bridal fashion with its high-necked lace bodice and full skirt.
Princess Diana’s fairy tale dress by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, adorned with 10,000 pearls and sequins, continues to captivate hearts.
And Jacqueline Kennedy’s classic ivory silk taffeta dress continues to inspire brides and remains one of the most replicated styles since its debut.
The wedding between Jacqueline Lee Bouvier and John F. Kennedy on September 12, 1953, is one of the most talked-about events in history.
Many remember Jackie’s stunning and spectacular dress, a magnificent ivory silk taffeta gown with a portrait neckline.
However, few are aware of the poignant tale behind the gown, or the identity of the talented designer who crafted it.
Ann Lowe, the visionary behind Jackie Kennedy’s iconic wedding dress, was a trailblazing African-American designer who started sewing at the tender age of six.
In 1950s New York, she became the couturier of choice for the city’s elite, dressing the likes of the Rockefellers, Roosevelts, and du Ponts. Had she lived in France, she might have achieved the same level of fame as Chanel or Dior.
Known for her exacting standards, Lowe proudly called herself an ‘awful snob’ who accepted nothing less than perfection in her creations. Her reputation among the city’s aristocrats and millionaires earned her a very exclusive clientele – ”the bluest of blue bloods.”
“I love my clothes, and I’m particular about who wears them. I’m not interested in sewing for cafe society or social climbers,” Lowe said in an interview with Ebony magazine, in 1966.
Today, she is best known for the masterpiece that became iconic in the 1950s – Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress.
Didn’t get to decide
The wedding between Jackie and JFK was very much orchestrated by the powerful Kennedy clan, so it was no surprise that Ann Lowe’s name surfaced when it came time to decide on Jackie’s gown. Joseph Kennedy, the influential patriarch of the Kennedy dynasty, meticulously oversaw every detail of the big day.
Some sources suggest that it was Jacqueline’s mother, Janet Lee Bouvier, who commissioned Lowe to design and create the entire bridal party’s wardrobe.
Jacqueline and Ann Lowe first met in 1952. Jacqueline came from a wealthy, snobbish upper-class family, and was engaged to a young Wall Street stockbroker at the time.
She apparently asked Lowe to design a wedding gown, but the engagement was later called off. However, Jackie remembered Lowe when she later accepted a marriage proposal from then-Senator John F. Kennedy.
The workshop disaster
The main gown required two months of work and over 50 yards of silk taffeta to complete. Ann Lowe and her staff worked tirelessly to perfect the gown, but soon all their efforts would be in vain.
Just ten days before the ceremony, disaster struck the painstaking work. A burst water pipe flooded Lowe’s workroom on Lexington Avenue, leaving the original wedding dress in ruins along with nine out of the fifteen bridesmaids’ gowns.
Fortunately, Ann Lowe managed to secure enough new material, and her team launched into an intense effort. Day and night, they worked tirelessly to complete the dresses. Jackie’s wedding gown, originally an eight-week project, was now finished in just five days. But the whole event came at a cost, especially for Miss Lowe. What was supposed to bring in a $700 profit turned into a $2,200 loss.
Despite the setback, Lowe never disclosed the mishap to Jackie’s mother – Ann was too much of a lady to do that.
However, it seems the bride wasn’t very pleased with the gown chosen for her. Having just returned from Europe, Jackie desired something simple, chic, and distinctly French. But the gown turned out to be something entirely different.
When Jackie saw the dress, she was disappointed. She had hoped for a more streamlined, modern design, reminiscent of Vera Wang, but JFK preferred a classic look. In the end, she gave in to his wishes. The more extravagant design was also favored by her soon-to-be father-in-law.
Written out of the moment
The Kennedys were married in 1953 at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island.
Lowe was determined to deliver the dresses to Jackie herself. When she reached the Kennedy residence, she was instructed to use the back servants’ entrance.
Refusing to compromise, she boldly declared that if she couldn’t bring her creations through the front door, she would take them back home. Eventually, she prevailed, entering through the front door, and the rest is history.
Newspapers across the nation scrutinized every detail of their wedding. The dress was certainly no exception, with The New York Times providing a detailed description, calling it ”a gown of ivory silk taffeta, featuring a fitted bodice adorned with interwoven bands of tucking, finished with a portrait neckline, and a bouffant skirt.”
“That dress she made for Jackie Kennedy was widely photographed. A lot of people saw it and it no doubt influenced average American wedding dresses and ball gowns,” said Elizabeth Way, an assistant curator at The Museum at FIT.
According to legend, she drew inspiration for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s wedding dress from a gown her mother had created.
However, as previously mentioned, the bride didn’t like the design. She later confided to friends that she disliked the dress’s portrait neckline because she believed it accentuated her small bust.
Additionally, Jackie remarked that the skirt resembled ”a lampshade.”
The ”nasty” comment
It’s also quite striking that the woman behind the dress was never mentioned by name. Despite extensive coverage, none of the newspapers published the name of the gown’s designer, Ann Lowe.
When questioned about the creator of her dress, Jacqueline Kennedy simply referred to her as a ”colored woman” – a description that doesn’t sit well in today’s context. Ann Lowe had poured her heart into completing the dress on time, marking a pinnacle in her career. Yet, she was relegated to anonymity, simply referred to as a “colored woman.”
According to Vogue, the designer was reportedly devastated by the apparent snub from the 24-year-old future First Lady.
Sadly, it would take many years before Lowe was publicly recognized as the designer of the gown. For decades, her name was forgotten by history. In fact, Lowe didn’t receive any public credit for her work until after John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
Isolated in New York
Today, Ann Lowe is forever remembered as the first African American to become a noted fashion designer. Her journey from rural Alabama to dressing the upper class women for five decades is nothing short of remarkable.
Ann Lowe was introduced to the art of custom dressmaking early on. Her mother and grandmother were both skilled seamstresses who ran a business together during the Reconstruction era in the Jim Crow South. They catered to Alabama’s wealthy elite, crafting exquisite gowns. In 1914, when Ann’s mother passed away, the responsibility of finishing four ball gowns for the First Lady of Alabama fell on young Ann’s shoulders. Miraculously, she managed to complete all the dresses in a short period, sparking a lifelong passion for the craft.
She had been making dresses since she was a little girl, so by the time she started creating ballgowns, wedding gowns, and debutante dresses in the 1950s, she already had decades of experience.According to legend, Lowe drew inspiration for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s wedding dress from a gown her mother had created.
Lowe arrived in the Big Apple at the age of 18 to attend New York Fashion School. The school had little enthusiasm for black students and Lowe came face to face with segregation. She wasn’t allowed to attend classes with her white classmates, instead she was forced to sit with her sewing machine in a hall outside the main classroom.
Despite being isolated, Lowe managed to excel and graduated earlier than her peers.
When she turned 21, Lowe moved to Florida and became the head of the leading dress shop in Tampa. She managed to save $20,000 and in 1927 the wildly talented trailblazing couturier moved to New York to work for various salons.
After opening her own store, the name Lowe became synonymous with fine gowns for elegant ladies. As a dressmaker, she never used patterns; all her designs flowed directly from her creative mind onto the fabric.
Society’s best-kept secret
Despite her humble beginnings, Lowe was determined to work exclusively for the most prestigious families. She had been making dresses since she was a little girl, so by the time she started creating ballgowns, wedding gowns, and debutante dresses, she already had decades of experience.
”I’ve been as careful about the people I work for as any social climber,” she said and added: ”I don’t do many dresses, so I have to be selective.”
But even after spending 50 years creating fashions for the nation’s top society, Ann Lowe remained relatively unknown. According to a 1964 magazine profile, she was described as ”society’s best-kept secret.” Lowe’s name was unfamiliar except to the very rich.
And she didn’t become wealthy either.
During the peak of her career, Lowe was said to be almost penniless. Her affluent clients frequently negotiated lower prices, leaving her with little profit after paying her seamstresses.
Lowe struggled to make ends meet, and in 1963, she declared bankruptcy.
”One morning I woke up owing $10,000 to suppliers and $12,800 in back taxes. At my wits end, I ran sobbing into the street,” she once said.
The anonymous friend
When things seemed darkest, an unexpected person stepped forward.
In an unexpected turn of events, Lowe’s financial troubles with the tax authorities were resolved – thanks to an ”anonymous friend” who paid off her debts.
According to The Washington Post, Lowe believed this friend was Jackie Kennedy. Jackie Kennedy, then widowed former first lady, had heard about Lowe’s difficult situation, so perhaps it was her way to say thank you.
It also seems that any hard feelings faded over the years. Lowe told Saturday Evening Post that the bride had been ”sweet,” and Ebony magazine suggests this was when Jackie learned of Lowe’s initial challenges with the dress.
Cause of death
In the late 1970s, Ann Lowe’s health began to decline. She lived a rather isolated life, with few hobbies and friends outside of her clients. According to her, she worked so tirelessly that there was simply no time for anything else. Her romantic life was also challenging.
Despite being married twice and having two children, both marriages crashed because her husbands couldn’t handle her running her own business.
”My second husband left me. He said he wanted a real wife, not one who was forever jumping out of bed to sketch dresses,” she said.
Her son from her first marriage, Arthur Lee, worked closely with Lowe for many years as her business partner until his tragic death in a car accident in 1958. Lowe later adopted a daughter. For much of her life, Lowe resided in Harlem with her older sister. Later, she moved to Queens and lived there with her daughter until her death in 1981.
After her passing, Lowe’s legacy evolved. While initially recognized primarily by those in the fashion industry, over time she became known beyond fashion circles.
Biographies have been written about her, and her designs have been showcased at prominent institutions such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2017, her work was featured in the exhibition ”Black Fashion Designers” at FIT, highlighting her lasting impact on American fashion.
If you ask me, she deserves to be recognized for more than the story of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress story.
This dynamo played an important role not only in the world of fashion but also in breaking down barriers as an African American designer during a time of segregation and discrimination.
Her exquisite craftsmanship and innovative designs continue to inspire and influence the fashion industry today. Feel free to share this story on Facebook to celebrate the trailblazing black couturier, Ann Lowe!
