# Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe - Hardcover

by **Deborah Blumenthal** (Author), **Laura Freeman** (Illustrator)

**A beautiful picture book about Ann Cole Lowe, a little-known African-American fashion designer who battled personal and social adversity in order to pursue her passion of making beautiful gowns and went on to become one of society's top designers.**

_Wisps of cloth would fall from their worktables like confetti,_

_and Ann would scoop them up and turn them into flowers_

_as bright as roses in the garden._

_Ann's family came from Alabama._

_Her great grandma had been a slave,_

_so her family knew about working hard_

_just to get by._

As soon as Ann Cole Lowe could walk, her momma and grandma taught her to sew. She worked near her momma in their Alabama family shop in the early 1900s, making glorious dresses for women who went to fancy parties. When Ann was 16, her momma died, and Ann continued sewing dresses. It wasn't easy, especially when she went to design school and had to learn alone, segregated from the rest of the class. But the work she did set her spirit soaring, as evidenced in the clothes she made, including Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress and Olivia de Havilland's dress at the Oscars when she won for Best Actress in _To Each His Own_. Rarely credited, Ann Cole Lowe became "society's best kept secret." This beautiful picture book shines the spotlight on a little-known visionary who persevered in times of hardship, always doing what she was passionate about: making elegant gowns for the women who loved to wear them.

### Author Biography

Deborah Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and nutritionist who now divides her time between writing children's books and adult novels. She has been a regular contributor to the _New York Times_, as well as to _Long Island Newsday_ as a home design columnist. Her feature stories have appeared widely in many other newspapers and national magazines including New York's _Daily News_, the_Washington Post_, the _Los Angeles Times_, _Bazaar_, _Cosmopolitan_, _Woman's Day_, _Family Circle_, _Self_, and _Vogue_. She lives in New York City. Find out more about her at deborahblumenthal.com.

Laura Freeman received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and began her career illustrating for various editorial clients, including _The New York Times Book Review_, _The National Law Journal_, and _New York Magazine_. She also worked as a computer artist in the men's design department of Polo/Ralph Lauren. Laura now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and their two children. Find out more about Laura at lfreemanart.com.

**Number of Pages:** 40

**Dimensions:** 0.5 x 11.1 x 8.7 IN

**Publication Date:** January 17, 2017

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe

**Interest Level:** Lower Grades, K-3

**Reading Level:** 4.2

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 17.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 17.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe - Hardcover

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