A beautiful picture book about Ann Cole Lowe, a little-known
African-American fashion designer who battled personal and social
adversity in order to pursue her passion of making beautiful gowns and
went on to become one of society's top designers.
Wisps of cloth would fall from their worktables like confetti,
and Ann would scoop them up and turn them into flowers
as bright as roses in the garden.
Ann's family came from Alabama.
Her great grandma had been a slave,
so her family knew about working hard
just to get by.
As soon as Ann Cole Lowe could walk, her momma and grandma taught her to
sew. She worked near her momma in their Alabama family shop in the early
1900s, making glorious dresses for women who went to fancy parties. When
Ann was 16, her momma died, and Ann continued sewing dresses. It wasn't
easy, especially when she went to design school and had to learn alone,
segregated from the rest of the class. But the work she did set her
spirit soaring, as evidenced in the clothes she made, including Jackie
Kennedy's wedding dress and Olivia de Havilland's dress at the Oscars
when she won for Best Actress in To Each His Own. Rarely credited, Ann
Cole Lowe became "society's best kept secret." This beautiful picture
book shines the spotlight on a little-known visionary who persevered in
times of hardship, always doing what she was passionate about: making
elegant gowns for the women who loved to wear them.