By Her Own Design

The core of this novel lies in a single sentence that appeared in a 1961 edition of Ladies Home Journal referring to Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress: “The bride’s gown and that of her friends were designed by a colored woman dressmaker, not the haute couture.”
 
Ann Lowe learns dressmaking from her mother and grandmother, a former slave, and it becomes her life’s passion. Undeterred by seemingly unsurmountable problems, prejudices, physical challenges and personal tragedy, she never loses focus in her ambition to become a top American designer. Immature and inexperienced, her dreams are nearly dashed when at the tender age of twelve she has her head turned by an older man and marries him against the wishes of her mother. By fifteen she is a mother of a son, but has begun to realize that her husband is abusive and an alcoholic.
 
Luck turns her way when a wealthy socialite in Tampa spots her talent and gives her a chance to prove what she is capable of by paying for her to attend design school. Escaping her husband, eventually she will find success further afield in New York where she is listed in the Social Register and designs and sews dresses for high society. The week before Jackie Bouvier’s marriage to Senator John Kennedy, a burst water pipe in the salon ruins all the dresses. The race is on to replace them all in time. How Ann manages this will be an extraordinary feat in itself.
 
Through it all, Ann remains defined by her skin color rather than her skills (as in the damning Ladies Home Journal sentence). Not until she is elderly does she finally get her true recognition.
 
This is an absorbing and moving story on so many levels. Ann was unfortunate to have been born in the “Jim Crow” era when black people were not allowed to even look white people in the eye lest they get themselves into trouble. It is particularly harrowing to read of her experiences in the design school as the first black student, forced to sit outside of the classroom and squint through a gap in order to follow instruction. Just one of many demeaning and offensive treatments she had to endure. A lesser woman would have folded, just packed her bags and returned home. But Ann didn’t give up. She took her grandmother’s advice in finding good white people to help her along the way. Her talented expertise spoke for itself and in time she designed clothes for many famous individuals such as Marjorie Post (the original owner of Mar-a-Lago), actress Olivia de Havilland, as well as Jackie Kennedy and her family, plus many others.
 
The author’s notes reveal that there are many gaps in Ann’s true story and thus much had to be invented for a novel, but the strong essence of this admirable woman shines through. A memorable and rewarding read.
 
Five stars
 
 
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