Ann Lowe created Jackie Kennedy’s 1953 wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy.
The ivory silk taffeta gown featured a portrait neckline, fitted bodice, and full skirt with woven bands of fabric. Lowe, an African American designer known for couture-level craftsmanship, made the dress for Kennedy’s wedding in Newport, Rhode Island.
The gown was created under severe time pressure after a flood damaged Lowe’s New York workroom and ruined several dresses. She and her team remade the garments before the ceremony, preserving the wedding schedule.
Oleg Cassini is often credited with Kennedy’s bridal style because he later became her official White House designer. However, Cassini did not create this wedding dress. Ann Lowe was the designer of the 1953 gown.