1. Ann Lowe was born in rural Clayton, Alabama in 1898 to Jane and Jack Ann Lowe.
14 Facts About Ann Lowe
1. 2.
Ann Lowe was the great-granddaughter of an enslaved woman and an Alabama plantation owner.
3.
Ann Lowe attended school in Alabama until she dropped out at the age of 14.
4.
Ann Lowe married her first husband, Lee Cohen, in 1912.
5.
Ann Lowe left Cohen because he opposed her having a career.
6.
Ann Lowe married for a second time, to Caleb West, but that marriage ended.
7.
Ann Lowe said he wanted a real wife, not one who was forever jumping out of bed to sketch dresses.
8.
Ann Lowe's work was often shown to her white peers in recognition of her outstanding artistry, and she was eligible for graduation after attending school for only half a year.
9.
Ann Lowe created dresses for many notable black clients as well, including Elizabeth Mance who was a well known pianist at the time, and Idella Kohke, a member of the Negro Actors Guild.
10.
In 1947, Janet Lee Auchincloss commissioned Ann Lowe to create debutante gowns for her daughters Jaqueline and Caroline Lee Bouvier.
11.
Ann Lowe never mentioned this incident to the family and she had to pay for any additional costs.
12.
Ann Lowe later admitted that at the height of her career, she was virtually broke.
13.
Ann Lowe died at her daughter's home on February 25,1981, at the age of 82, after an extended illness.
14.
Ann Lowe's work has been admired by the designer Christian Dior, as well as the famous costumer Edith Head.