kvmpre.blogg.se - By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley

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. Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F.

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.

Stash busting: Sew House Seven Pullover Sweater.

Scrap Busting Project: Colour Blocked Wool Sweats.

Pulled From the Donation Pile: A Cardigan Created.

Pulled From the Donation Pile: Refashioned to Fit.

Until this literary journey, I was not aware of the story behind Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding dress, one of many that Lowe created over her career. I learned about a fashion designer I had no knowledge of even though she has been featured in exhibitions and Vogue articles. It wasn't a book that I expected to read but it is one that I am glad I read, especially after working through the first part of the book.

In three hundred sixty-seven pages, Huguley takes the reader through an epic journey that spans decades recounted not chronologically, rather reflected upon intentionally. This is a book about struggles, racism, jealousy, revenge and rising above it all. The only sliver of pleasure reading about fabric was how polyester was viewed cheaply. I was intrigued by the book cover and the assumption that the novel would be rich in descriptive sewing details or description of the fabrics that would invoke textures and drape. And she did it with incredible strength, faith in God and grace. Lowe's story is a story of survival through constant tragedies as she struggled throughout her life for the recognition of her worth as a person, designer and artist. The novel introduces us to this horrible character early in the novel and there are graphic scenes in the first part that were intense and were hard to get through. A horrible character who manipulated her into marriage while she was still a child to use her as free labour in his tailoring business. Her talent was recognized by those who wanted to exploit her gifts starting with Lee Cole, her first husband.

And sadly, the fashion industry set in the early twentieth century often discouraged, exploited and hid her talent because of her race rather than celebrating her talent. This novel is based on true story of an American fashion designer with epic talent. However, the main character, Ann Lowe, is not a fictional character. Piper Huguley's By Her Own Design is a historical fiction novel. By Her Own Design: A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register