Clayton, Alabama (December 14, 1898- February 25, 1981) age 82 yrs

Ann Cole Lowe was the first African American to become a noted fashion designer. Lowe’s one-of-a-kind designs were a favorite among high society matrons from the 1920s to the 1960s. Lowe’s mother and grandmother were accomplished seamstresses in Alabama. After her mother passed away in 1914, Lowe assumed her mother’s position. She did this at just 16 years old, per the National Museum of American History. She was best known for designing the ivory silk taffeta wedding dress worn by Jacqueline Bouvier. This famous dress was for her marriage to John F. Kennedy in 1953. When reporters later asked Kennedy who designed her gown she reportedly answered with “a colored dressmaker did it”. Once labeled society’s “best-kept secret,” Lowe and her talents shouldn’t have been a secret at all. In the decades since, she has become a more prominent name in the fashion industry. Yet, her fame is long overdue. A trailblazer in the fashion industry, she faced racial discrimination throughout her career. If her creations go down in history, her name, her work, and her legacy shall too.