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William Morrow

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

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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 in this gripping historical fiction. 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 historical novel of determination despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Morrow Paperbacks


Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 7, 2022


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 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: #47,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #52 in Black & African American Historical Fiction (Books) #237 in Biographical & Autofiction #693 in Black & African American Women's Fiction (Books)


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


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • More Than Delivered
Format: Kindle
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
    • A MUST READ!!!
Format: Paperback
This is an amazing book to read! So much to learn about Ann Lowe that I didn't know before. This book is very descriptive and comical at times. It will definitely take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions... smiling, laughing, crying, etc. Great book! My book social is actually reading it and discussing it through the entire Month of May. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2026 by Alethia
    • I never knew!!
Format: Audiobook
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
    • Loved This Book!
Format: Kindle
It’s a reminder of what life was like before 1965 and how the Civil Rights Act changed things for the blacks. Unfortunately struggles still exist and hopefully justice and equality will prevail for all someday. It won’t happen unless we make it happen!
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2026 by Karen Kaye
    • Biographical Historical Fiction at Its Finest
Format: Paperback
By Her Own Design, a novel of the untold story of Ann Lowe is worth every bit of the hype. It is written with intention and skills giving you all the feels that create an emotional attachment to the characters. The story captures your attention and holds it captive from the prologue to the very last page, bringing the story of the best-kept secret of the high society to life. By Her Own Design is a highly anticipated masterpiece that I could not wait to read. Piper Huguley did an excellent job bringing the story of Ann Lowe to life in an unforgettable way. Her writing is so prolific even the nonverbal, unspoken emotions of Ann Lowe have a voice that is heard loud and clear. By Her Own Design is a book hangover-worthy read that will have you thinking about the characters long after you finish. It is Biographical Historical Fiction at its finest. Readers will not be disappointed with this written work of art. I highly recommend this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2022 by Kindle Customer
    • so compelling & important!
Format: Paperback
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
    • A Life to be Remembered
Format: Kindle
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
    • Good
Format: Paperback
Received in good condition and arrived in the timeliness they said it would.
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2026 by Amazon Customer

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