By Her Own Design: The Story of Ann Lowe, Society's Best Kept Secret by Piper Huguley

 By Her Own Design brings an extraordinary story of Ann Lowe, a Black woman, who rose above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design for elite, and the famous wedding dress for Jackie Kennedy.

Early 20th century in Alabama, Ann Lowe learns the art of sewing from her mother and grandmother. From childhood, she is taught to have a patron in building a certain clientele. There comes a day when an opportunity comes her way, when another woman sees the dress she sew. Then, another door opens for her to go to design school. Those would seem the right choices to grab, but there always seems something to be holding her back. What she reaches for will determine her future.

Her life is richly imagined from childhood, with mother and grandmother who teach her sewing and shape her young mind in the right direction. And one woman becomes a big stepping stone in her life’s journey, which undoubtedly is shaped by her own talent. And a day comes, when her life is transformed when a new client by the name of Mrs. Bouvier walks into her shop and life, with her fourteen year old daughter, Jacqueline Bouvier, who would become Ann’s special client.

Wonderful storytelling sheds light on an incredible woman who defied the odds and achieved extraordinary success during her lifetime. Told in the first person, the voice of Ann sounds very real and believable as truly listening to the story of her own words. This engrossing story makes pages turn quickly.

Released in Jun 2022 by William Morrow Paperbacks