Hey Fam!

Happy Vlogmas! Here is my week 1 #vlogmas post. The plan is to post every week this month but we’ll see how that goes, lol! 

Last November, I visited Winterthur, the home of the Du Pont family turned public museum, library and gardens. Every year during the holiday season, Winterthur hosts an exhibit and creates a Yuletide installation around the exhibit’s theme. Last year’s exhibit was Ann Lowe, American Couturier held from September 9, 2023 – January 7, 2024.

Ann Lowe is known by many names; American fashion designer, consummate couturier and Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress designer. Lowe’s artistry with fabric ran in her family. Both her mother and her formerly enslaved grandmother were dressmakers. While she’s most famous for designing Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress, she also created bespoke gowns for society women, well known department stores and in her own dress shops in Manhattan.

The exhibit was based on the master’s thesis of Margaret Powell, fashion historian.  Thanks to Powell’s work and a team of dedicated individuals, Winterthur created the largest exhibition of Lowe’s work to date.

The exhibition displayed actual gowns that Lowe created, including an exact replica of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress. This was actually the second dress Lowe made for the former FLOTUS as the first dress had been destroyed when a pipe burst in her studio. I was amazed that so many of her dresses were still in existence and in such excellent condition. It’s crazy to think that there are probably thousands more examples of her work in private collections. Lowe’s work was exquisite! Check out the detailing on these gowns!

This is a replica of the wedding dress Ann Lowe designed for Jackie Kennedy.
This is the Quince Dress.
The staff called this the Glenda Dress!

To create the Yuletide installation, Winterthur employed two Delaware-based couturiers, Asata Maise Beeks and Shawn Baron Pinckney. Together, they crafted Christmas “trees” and other displays in themes that complimented the exhibit. This was my first time at Winterthur so I wasn’t sure what to expect but the creativity and imagination that these two artists displayed blew me away. I’m sure you can tell which dress these trees represent.

This tree was inspired by Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown.
This tree was inspired by the Quince Dress.

This exhibition was a great tribute to Lowe and her amazing body of work. I left feeling proud that she overcame racism and sexism to pursue her art and a little sad that she wasn’t able to have this acclaim while she was still alive. I also felt like I needed to find my own couturier! 

If you love historic homes and gardens and are interested in seeing this year’s Yuletide displays, visit Winterthur’s website for more information.

To learn more about the extraordinary life of Ann Lowe, pick up a copy of Ann Lowe: American Couturier at the museum bookstore or on Amazon. Also, check out these books about her life: Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe, By Her Own Design: A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register and Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer, Ann Cole Lowe.