Considered one of America’s most significant designers, Ann Cole Lowe was influential in paving the way for African Americans in the fashion industry. During her illustrious 50-year career, her extraordinary garments earned her prominent clientele, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Marjorie Merriweather Post, and the Rockefellers. But her journey to success was fraught with challenges—it reflected decades of resilience and perseverance.

Born in Clayton, Alabama, in 1898, Lowe inherited a passion for dressmaking from her mother, Janine Cole Lowe, and her formerly enslaved grandmother, Georgia Thompkins—both of whom were established dressmakers. Lowe learned to sew at age five and, as a pastime, crafted decorative fabric flowers, which later became a signature detail in many of her designs. When Lowe was 16, her mother unexpectedly passed away, leaving Lowe to take up the family business.

Lowe established a life around her passion for sewing and high fashion. After dedicating several years to building her reputation as an accomplished dressmaker, Lowe moved to Tampa, Florida, where she developed a loyal and elite clientele by designing dresses for socialites. In 1917, she traveled to New York City to attend the S.T. Taylor School of Design. As the only African American student in attendance at the time, Lowe was segregated from the rest of her class, even though her exceptional sewing skills and design talents were consistently showcased as models for her white classmates. Accustomed to forging her own path, Lowe graduated in half the required time.

After graduating, Lowe returned to Tampa to solidify her reputation as a dressmaker and businesswoman. At a time when Black dressmakers were intentionally kept in the shadows, Lowe emerged as a respected designer and, with an impressive $20,000 (nearly $300,000 today), she permanently relocated in New York City in 1928. Over the next two decades, she established a reputation for her craftmanship and earned many affluent clients. She often worked on commission for such well-known stores and boutiques as Henri Bendel, Chez Sonia, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Although she initially faced financial challenges, which were exacerbated by the Great Depression, Lowe cultivated a devoted client base. She opened and operated several shops in Manhattan’s wealthiest neighborhoods during a time when Black-owned businesses were scarce, particularly within the highly segregated fashion industry. In 1965, she successfully launched a store on Madison Avenue, becoming the first African American to own a business in the heart of Manhattan’s most iconic fashion retail strip. Lowe took great pride in her work, and her immaculate designs, lace-lined gowns, and fabricated flowers graced America’s wealthiest elites.

That’s why the most in-demand couture designer in Manhattan—Ann Lowe—was selected to design the iconic gown Jacqueline “Jackie” Lee Bouvier wore in her 1953 wedding to future President John F. Kennedy. Although that dress is emblematic of Lowe’s pivotal place in American history, it didn’t come without its challenges. A flood in Lowe’s shop destroyed the original gown, as well as 10 bridesmaid dresses, just 10 days before the wedding. Knowing the importance of delivering what she promised, Lowe hired extra help and worked overtime to deliver the gowns on time—and personally assumed the additional costs.

Experiencing such losses was not uncommon throughout Lowe’s career. She was often underpaid by clients who took advantage of Lowe’s precarious position as a Black woman in the deeply segregated fashion industry. And although many women wore her dresses to high-level events, they rarely acknowledged Lowe as the designer. Lowe had to prioritize her craft and making a living over receiving recognition for her work and, as long as her clients wore her pieces, she rarely complained.

Through her unmatched talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to excellence, Lowe was a groundbreaking designer. When she retired in 1972, Lowe’s work was well-known in the fashion world. Her fairytale-like gowns appeared repeatedly in Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines and were worn by women in the highest levels of American society.

Today, Lowe’s legacy and influence as one of America’s most consummate fashion designers are undeniable. She transformed the fashion landscape, and her designs will inspire generations to come.

To learn more about Ann Lowe and other influential African Americans in the fashion industry, watch our recent symposium, Fashion, Culture, Futures: African American Ingenuity, Activism, and Storytelling.

Photo Credits:

Ann Lowe in her New York salon with model Judith Palmer, 1966. Photograph by Moneta Sleet Jr. Johnson Publishing Company Archive, Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Smithsonian Institution.

Sleeveless black cocktail dress with handmade pink floral decorations, designed by Ann Lowe, ca. 1960. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane.

Ann Lowe tailoring one of her designs, 1966. Photograph by Moneta Sleet Jr. Johnson Publishing Company Archive, Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Smithsonian Institution.

Ivory dress decorated with swirls of handmade fabric rose vines, designed by Ann Lowe, 1966-67. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane.