Ann Lowe’s Garden of Gowns
Ann Lowe was a Black designer, couturier, and an icon of glamour, innovation & complex tailoring. She was the mysterious figure behind numerous creations that are now archived at various institutions such as, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and The Museum at FIT.
Her work was admired by prominent creatives including the legendary costume designer, Edith Head and French fashion designer, Christian Dior. Ann Lowe’s career spanned from the 1920s-1980s, originating in the deep rural South, where she went from designing for prominent debutantes to working as a live-in dressmaker/seamstress for a family, to years later opening Ann Lowe Inc on Madison Ave during the late 1940s and early 1950s. She then went on to open Ann Lowe Gowns in 1955 on Lexington Ave, A.F. Chantilly Inc. in 1965, and Ann Lowe Originals in 1968 on Madison Ave.
Florence Cowell and Ann Lowe in front of their shop with a gentleman at 558 Madison Ave. Johnson Publishing Company Archive
Designer Ann Lowe in the December 1966 edition of Ebony magazine
Ann Lowe looking through her designs in studio
She was the genius behind the iconic gowns worn by socialites and the elite… in fact, many of her clients became the faces that we now associate today with 1950s/60s glamour. Unfortunately, a few of those same faces adorned in Ann Lowe’s beautiful creations, often snubbed her in the press, robbing her of well-deserved recognition and media attention. Some even haggled her down, contributing to the financial difficulties she faced throughout her life. It’s easy to wonder the recognition and financial success that Ann Lowe would have possibly received had her skin color been different…with the ability to forge the elite social connections, wealth, and advantage that some white designers were afforded.
Despite this, Ann Lowe’s courage and remarkable hidden talents ensured that she went down in history as a couturier that was aligned enough to recognize that her gifts were meant to hone in on her specialty—lavish gowns with detailed artistry.
At the end of this article, I have included additional reads that offer more detail into her life, expanding on the stories of her triumphs and challenges, but at the moment, I want to focus specifically on the craft that made Ann Lowe so special.
Ann Lowe’s journey into the world of couture started at home, as the granddaughter and daughter of two dressmakers, the foundation of her career began as an apprentice for the family business. Picture a little girl with twinkling eyes sitting on the floor by her grandmothers feet, immersed in craft and labor. As scraps floated down following the clean snip of the scissors, she fashioned each piece into her own special creations. Flowers were on the top of her mind…she often ventured out into the family garden to admire and study the different stages of flowers, mirroring the curvature of petals, their shapes and symmetry. Conservation came naturally and stayed with Ann Lowe for her whole career. Using scraps and trimmings from fabric on the work floor, she would carefully craft her flowers and appliqués from the materials she already had.
Below are the signature design elements that Ann Lowe was known for, and what better way to start than with flowers..
I. Flowers
Ann Lowe had a fondness for floral decorations and embellishments. Pictured are silk, satin, velvet & chiffon flowers in different states of bloom and styles. Her specialty for trompe l'oeil flowers looked so real that at the time many people would mistake them for real flowers. Apparently, a client once returned to her for a repair after her date had snipped off a flower from her gown, fashioning it into his own corsage for the evening.
II. Trapunto
Trapunto is a layering of fabrics to create a dimensional effect used in tapestries, quilts and clothing. Often used in quilting, trapunto is traditionally done by hand by stitching 2 layers of fabric together. Small slits are carefully cut into the base fabric, and stuffing is placed inside the slits. Once fully stuffed, the applique is whip stitched closed.
Pictured above are silk ruffles and concentric circles made from the trapunto technique. This was the custom gown Jacqueline Lee Bouvier wore when she married John F. Kennedy in 1953.
Ann Lowe created several custom debutante white gowns and wedding dresses. Often her clients would love her dresses so much that they would dye the fabric to wear for another event, extending the life of the garment beyond just one occasion. Her dresses always exhibited haute couture techniques, with built in bras/girdles for a perfect fit, boning and elastics to hug the body supremely and finished seams with lace binding.
III. Fussy Cutting
Commonly used by Ann Lowe, fussy cutting is a technique done by carefully identifying certain motifs in a patterned or quilted fabric and cutting them out to create a new design or appliqués. Fussy cutting is a sustainable practice that minimizes any fabric waste, while also highlighting a certain motif in a pattern or design that sparks creativity, these clippings can then be added to reimagine and upcycle a garment. Historically, this technique has been used in family quilts passed through generations.
Vie en Vert experiments with fussy cutting…
In honor of Ann Lowes meticulously handcrafted flowers & the birth of spring— I decided to put one of her most used techniques into action!
Step I: Selecting a motif to fussy cut
I found a piece of scrap fabric from a Y2k dress that I thrifted last year. I was originally attempting to make a flirty summer 2pc set and it came out a little too… Limited Too… if you know what I mean. The floral print just felt outdated, but I knew that one day it would have some use, and low and behold!
Step II: Adding detail
Ann Lowe often incorporated beading in her flowers to add more dimension and flare, so I cut out each white flower and sewed beads on the “pistil and stamen” of each flower to a 2nd layer of thrifted fabric.
Step III: Finalizing each flower
With the two layers of fabric, I hand sewed the pieces together with a a thick mercerized top cord to give it a crafty and handmade look. Now looking back.. this could have been a great opportunity to put another one of Ann Lowe’s commonly used techniques into effect—adding shape and dimension with trapunto.
Step IV: Choosing a garment
Once the appliqués were finished I brainstormed about what kind of garment would complement these flowers best. Maybe a silk fabric? Nah.. An evening dress dress? Meh, too fancy. A white wrap cotton blouse? Eh, too cold out still.
OH! I have been holding on to this 90s/Y2k beautiful lawn green mid-length single- breasted transitional jacket (a mouthful.. I know) But just perfect….
Step V: Finalizing the appliqué location
The final step was to determine exactly where these flowers would be located on the jacket. First, I placed the flowers on the collar, pockets and buttons but then realized that these were areas that were subject to dirt and wear. I proceeded to place them on the back of the jacket as a trail of flowers but the jacket didn’t seem like it needed any back detail. Next, I mimicked the style of epaulettes by placing the appliques on the shoulder, but something still felt off..
Finally, I landed on placing the flowers on the upper breast just under the shoulder (see below). I felt that it was the least cumbersome location while also giving the flowers the proper spotlight that they deserved. Now I’m off to sew these flowers down!
If you have made it this far, thank you for reading about the remarkable life of Black couturier, Ann Lowe & following my design process inspired by her work!
And to Ann Lowe, thank you for your amazing feats of courage and sharing your supreme gifts, with an intense devotion to craft & precision.
Because Ann Lowe, was very seldom recognized by the press in her lifetime along with the many that came before and after her… here are a few suggested reads about Ann Lowe’s Life & other Black designers from the 19th and 20th century:
Ann Lowe (1898–1981) - Written By Elaine Nichols with research assistance by Alexis Dixon
Ann Lowe: American Couturier by Elizabeth Way
Defying Gravity: Zelda Wynn Valdes
1818-1907 – Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley
Harlem’s Ruby Bailey, A Legendary Fashion Pioneer In Harlem, NY