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By Her Own Design: A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register

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Description

The incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America's most famous wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy.1953, New York CityLess than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next week to accomplish the task, but they will do it.1918, TampaRaised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann’s talent and offers her an amazing opportunity—the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida’s society elite. Taking her young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.Based on the true story of one of the most famous designers of the twenties through the sixties who has since been unjustly forgotten, By Her Own Design is an unforgettable novel of determination despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks (June 7, 2022)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063059746


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 40


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.86 x 8 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #39,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #89 in Black & African American Historical Fiction (Books) #238 in Cultural Heritage Fiction #820 in Black & African American Women's Fiction (Books)


#89 in Black & African American Historical Fiction (Books):


#238 in Cultural Heritage Fiction:


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • More Than Delivered
I’ve been anticipating this book since I heard of it; I’m thrilled to say it delivered even more than I hoped it would and I sped through it. I believe Piper Huguley has captured Ann Lowe’s voice with this book: innocent, curious, determined, expert, heartbroken, survivor. At the same time, it’s a great story, a story that is heartfelt, romantic, brave, and—I believe—as close to the full truth as possible. I loved all Lowe’s sayings, her comparisons and thoughts, and how she took many bits of hard news with a “Well,” and then got on with it. The book embodies the spirit of an amazing seamstress. I could not put the audiobook down as I cheered Lowe past one hurdle after another. BHOD gives us a full-blown painting of the extreme difficulties of a Black woman’s life in the South and in the North. It shows us what happens when one person dreams, when another is kind, when the dreamer refuses to give up, time and again, and when she shows up, over and over. It helps inspire us to be better to our fellow human beings, to keep striving, to do more. There are many shocking happenings and the author unflinchingly shows us the hurts of racism, in a way that opens eyes to the truth of the past and inspires more of us to be better, do better. This book will be a great summer read, but also just a great read, a great buddy read, a great book club read—there’s so much to take in and talk about. Bravo Piper Huguley—By Her Own Design is a triumph. The narration is fantastic, too—really brings the times and characters alive. PS. ****Somewhat of a spoiler**** Lowe designed Jaqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress—and wasn’t given credit, other than a mention that the seamstress was colored and not part of the haute couture. Ouch!! Yet the scenes with Jackie are poignant and beautiful; you will love them and they are perfect for the book. Because we love our tragic First Lady, it’s hard to imagine why she kept the secret. But if you consider the great lay off/replacement of many of the Black staff at the White House under the Kennedys, this book ultimately is likely too forgiving of Jackie. (See Adrian Miller’s wonderful The President’s Kitchen Cabinet). As much as we want her to be part of the civil rights movement, to always have had the kind of grace she exhibited in November of 1963, to simply be good, she was human and made mistakes. I so wish Ann Lowe had been credited with her creations during her lifetime, instead of kept a society secret. I also understand why the book’s resolution of this matter was written the way it was, especially considering that Lowe credited the First Lady with the great kindness, as if she were making up for the past injustice. My guess is the Lee family, or Marjorie Post, or, most probably, the Kennedy family paid the tax bill (as in Bobby, rather than Jackie, and it smells of Joe, too, though he’d had his stroke when this happened), and not altruistically but as a cover-up against the scandal Lowe’s tax debt would have caused when the reporters connected it all. Also, they had to know that Lowe never cashed the ruined check for her fee; why didn’t they balance their books with a replacement? This would have helped Lowe financially, too. (Ok yes, the check could have been stolen and cashed in the debacle of the water leak, but I doubt it). Ultimately, whoever came to Lowe’s rescue, this demonstrates how the US, as a whole!, has much to answer for. Also, Lowe’s voice is very forgiving, or at least not damning, of all the slights and wrongs and there are many—I think this is written true to her voice and how her generation dealt with racism—it is not a license to sugarcoat or forget what happened; rather, I hope it entices all of us to dig deeper and learn more. This book is one in a growing canon of books that make Black Historical Fiction one of my new favorite genres (for me, especially wonderful is the growth of books by and about Black women) —and with a WWII feeling—in the sense of needing to understand the full picture so that I can learn and help us not repeat history. Especially loving these books set in the 20th century. More of these books, please! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2023 by Syd Young
    • Heartwrenching
A story filled with emotions and action that engages the reader and keeps them glued to the end. Lowe is inspirational and her story needs to be heard around the world.
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2024 by J. Pat
    • I never knew!!
Just days before designer Ann Lowe is going to make all of her dreams come true (by designing a wedding dress for one of the most influential women in DC, Jacqueline Bouvier- soon to be Kennedy) the unimaginable happens, her dress shop floods ruining everything (all of her hard work) inside. Now she has 7 days to recreate every one-of-a-kind dress for each member of the bridal party, hiding the fact from the Bouvier’s. They can never know. She has limited time to recreate a design that will finally bring her out of obscurity - showing the world just what she can do in essence giving her a legitimacy, that nothing else can. You see, for years Ann has designed clothing for some of the most influential in society, and yet has never been publicly recognized. Instead she is society’s secret. I really enjoyed Piper Huguley “By Her Own Design!” I knew nothing about Ann Lowe and was fascinated by her story - which spanned over 60 years. Although some of the story might not be true, she allowed you to see the true struggle of a black woman in the Jim Crow South. It gave us insight into Ann’s personal life - from a marriage (at the age of 12) to an abusive man; to a teen pregnancy; running away to become a seamstress for a prominent family; her studies at a segregated school in Paris; a second marriage; heartache; a heartbreaking loss; and later losing her sight and quite possibly the only thing that she has ever loved…..her ability to create great outfits. But we also see her professional growth as well - from a personal seamstress (creating a reputation among the elite for creating quality clothing), to designing perhaps one of the most iconic wedding dress to date (although she would never receive credit for it). Overall, it was a delightful story that demonstrates survival and the human spirit. It is easy to read and moves quickly. I recommend it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2023 by Michelle L. Beck
    • beautifully written
The book is thrilling and shows the efforts of persistence and determination.
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024 by Sharon Nemeth
    • so compelling & important!
This is certainly one of the best works of historical fiction I have read in some time. Where lots of histfic is written to bring historical figures to life, Huguley truly succeeds in doing so. While it’s clear that meticulous research was done, character and emotion is never sacrificed. I was completely taken by Ann Lowe, who leapt off the page with strong voice and point of view, both in her younger years and later on. The rich historical detail, even while traveling through several decades, kept me perfectly grounded in the setting. Ann’s goals are always clear, and with every set back, I was rooting for her all the more. The author is not only bringing to light one of history’s many forgotten figures, but doing so in a masterful way that makes this book incredibly compelling. Ann Lowe was such an exceptional woman, and I’m so glad that many more people will now know about her incredible accomplishments. You will particularly enjoy this if you are into fashion or are a seamstress yourself. This one gets five stars from me! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2022 by AvidReader
    • amazing
Piper Huguley provides such a richly written book that it transports you to life with Ann Lowe, a truly amazing woman.
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024 by Love it
    • A Life to be Remembered
This is a compelling story of triumph despite so many hardships for Ann Lowe to realize her dream of becoming an artist in the fashion world. Her life encompassed changing times for blacks in the early 20th century. The talents of good people, and in particular blacks and women, were often crushed. The author tells of the disappointments but shares her full life story of the wonderful family that supported her. Although some parts leave one with tears to shed due to cruel treatment, the sisterhood of mother, grandmother, and sister are uplifting. Please read if you’re interested if stories of strong women who succeed when the odds are stacked against them. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2024 by Vicky

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