The life and legacy of Black fashion designer Ann Lowe is the topic of a panel discussion hosted by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 3:30 pm in the Trabant Theater. 

Lowe is best known for creating the famous wedding dress that Jacqueline Bouvier wore when she married John F. Kennedy, although she didn’t receive credit for the dress until years later. While her clients included the rich and famous of American society in the mid-20th century, Lowe never became a household name like others of her era, like Christian Dior or Yves St. Laurent, largely because of her race.

Panelists include:

• Elizabeth Way, AS08, Associate Curator at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
• CaSandra Diggs, President, the Council of Fashion Designers of America
• Shawn Baron Pinckney, Designer
• Jonathan Square, Assistant Professor, Parsons School of Design

The panel is being held in conjunction with an exhibition of Lowe’s creations at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library which was guest curated by Elizabeth Way. The display includes a replica of Bouvier’s wedding dress which was painstakingly recreated by UD professor Katya Roelse and several students in 2022. The exhibit runs from September 9, 2023, through January 7, 2024.

The event is supported by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the UD Faculty Senate Committee on Cultural Activities and Public Events (CAPE).