Fashion watch: Black fashion history

Created on Friday, 08 February 2013 09:23 Last Updated on Friday, 08 February 2013 09:23 Published on Friday, 08 February 2013 09:23 Written by Debbie Norrell Hits: 510

Did you know that a Black woman designed Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy? Her name was Ann Cole Lowe.

This month we celebrate ground breaking moments in fashion and beauty. In 1953, Lowe designed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy. The voluminous, off-the-shoulder dress was constructed out of 50 yards of ivory silk taffeta.

Just 10 days before the wedding ceremony a water line broke in Lowe's New York City studio and ruined the former First Lady's gown along with all 10 pink bridesmaids’ dresses.

Lowe worked tirelessly to recreate all 11 designs in time for the Rhode Island nuptials. Sadly, Lowe did not get the credit she deserved for designing and creating Jackie's all-important dress. Jackie is said to have told people that her gown was made by a "colored woman dressmaker" and

Lowe was only mentioned by name in the Washington Post where fashion editor Nine Hyde simply wrote "… the dress was designed by a Negro, Ann Lowe."

In the 1960's, Lowe opened Ann Lowe Originals inside the Saks Fifth Ave department store on Madison Avenue in New York. Her amazing work still lives on in the permanent archives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Black Fashion Museum and The Smithsonian.

Lowe passed away in 1981 at the age of 83.