By Her Own Design

A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register

By: Piper Huguley

Narrated by: Tracey Conyer Lee

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 City

Less 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. 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, Tampa

Raised 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 novel of determination despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world.

©2022 Piper Huguley (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

A story that sweeps you away

The story, history, and performance were outstanding. I learned a lot and found myself swept away by the story of Ann Lowe. It’s a story people should have known about for a long time. The performance brought it to life in a way that made me feel like I was watching a movie of the story.

Beautiful historic novel

This book was referred to me by the women in my book club. We read the book and visited the exhibit of Ms. Lowe's work at the Winterthur Museum (former DuPont home) in Wilmington, Delaware. The story was well-written and easy to follow. I could not stop listening as it approached the last few chapters. The only area of improvement is the narration. The accents in the beginning of the book were odd, not authentically southern. It took some getting used to -- the narrator improved as the story went on. It is a triumphant account of a woman who had soooo many odds against her. Yet in the words of Maya Angelou, "and still I rise". Bits of history, misfortune, and the impact of racism are woven into the narrative that is designer, artist Ann Lowe's life. To top it off with the privilege of seeing her gowns on exhibit was a special treat!

By Her Own Design

What a wonderful book!!! I really enjoyed listening to it!! What a hard life Ann Lowe had. So sad but I think it made her strong. I can’t imagine her sewing all those dresses and especially when she lost an eye! I’m glad I read this book about her!

A must read!

Enjoyed this book tremendously!
it is a must read! I recommend this book and would love to know more about Anne Lowe!

Great book

First time my book club gave five stars all around. What an excellent book and inspiring woman.

An amazing woman

There are so many women, minorities in our country and world who made contributions to our history and yet we knew nothing about their lives. Our history focuses on mainly white men who shaped our world. Anne Lowe is a petite black women who grew up in poverty and yet managed to develop a skill, be a part of our history and show women success is possible if you pursue your dreams amid tough obstacles. A remarkable example of the strength of women. A must read.

Inspiring

Wonderful story of a much overlooked black designer. Glad her story is being told. Loved the ending.

Admirable Woman

Loved this story of ingenuity, perseverance, extraordinary talent! Ann was a creative genius of whom i was completely unaware and the authors perspective well taken. The narrator was also quite outstanding

Designer and seamstress extraordinaire, Ann Lowe

Wonderful novel that keeps the reader engaged. Ann Lowe was a talented dress designer, as well as seamstress. I was interested in reading this as two of my friend’s mothers were the lucky recipients of some of Ann’s gorgeous creations. The book was very enjoyable and it was apparent that the author researched Ann Lowe to write her story.

Great narration, great story.

You need something to listen to when crafting or sewing? Don’t hesitate. This is it. This story is tender, tough and entertaining. Piper Huguley takes us to a world gone by. You’ll enjoy this book about ladies of the 20th century- and whether you relate to the hard working hands that sew or the tough hearts wearing the gowns sewn, is up to you.