I really liked this book for two reasons: 1) the main character Ann had a distinct personality that made me want to cheer her on through her trials and tribulations; and 2) because Ann shows us how important it is to have a purpose, a calling in life. In Ann's case it is her dedication to the craft of sewing. As someone who embroiders, I have a real appreciation for this craft as an artform. Just as an author has a pen or an artist has a paint brush, Ann has her needle and thread. And she does wonders with her tools of trade. It's her life's calling to create that pulls her out of unbearable situations as a too-young bride with an abusive husband, the loss of family members, and the struggle for recognition. This story will resonate for anyone who appreciates the value in finding a purpose in life and sticking by it, no matter what challenges one confronts, This novel would make a great book club read.

I believe I saw this highlighted in a HarperCollins webinar; as a fan of historical fiction, I was definitely intrigued!

Piper Huguley brilliantly fleshes out the little-known facts about Ann Lowe, granddaughter of enslaved Black Americans whose genius with a needle and thread led to patronages from the First Lady of Alabamba, the cereal heiress Marjorie Post, and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Lowe's beautiful and stylish creations are vividly imagined, and the tragedies in her life (child marriage, close personal deaths) are movingly rendered, as are the unimaginable obstacles and triumphs that marked her professional career.

Librarians/booksellers: A must purchase for your historical fiction fans. This could also be a book club favorite!

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

In May of 2018 I was walking along a side street in Windsor England with my husband when we passed a stout blond man, unmistakable to me as one of the most famous wedding dress designers of the twentieth century. He was there, no doubt to view, but also to provide fashion commentary, on the most important royal wedding in the history of British royalty: Meghan Markle, a divorced American woman of color was about to exchange vows with Prince Harry, a grandson of the Queen.

“That’s David Emanuel!” I whispered gleefully, proceeding to identify him to my spouse as the man who designed Lady Diana Spencer’s confection of a gown for her wedding to Prince Charles. The neo-Georgian design was as controversial as the royal marriage would become: but love it or hate it—it was the design Diana wanted, and it set the fashion for years to come.

Ever after, the Emanuels were household names.

But if I asked you to tell me about Ann Cole Lowe—could you do it? You should. And thanks to Piper Huguley’s groundbreaking—and heartbreaking historical novel, Ann Lowe’s name and reputation as couturier to the crème de la crème of American society for well over half a century is restored to its proper place in the pantheon of high fashion.

Growing up in Alabama two generations removed from slavery, Ann, learned her craft from her self-taught mother and grandmother as well as her older sister Sallie. They were her muses and her tutors. Told she was too young to participate in design commissions and fittings, and eager to prove she was grown up just fine, thank you, she jumped at the first smile directed her way, heedless of her momma’s warnings. At the tender age of twelve; Ann was a child bride.

The only good to come out of the union was her son Arthur, and her newfound moxie—her two-pronged determination to break free of her abusive marriage and to succeed on her own as a fashion designer.
Find yourself some “good white people,” Ann is told. A tall order in the Jim Crow South; but needles did emerge from haystacks; and one commission from a wealthy socialite would lead to another. Word spread of Ann’s talent, including the fact that she never designed the same dress twice, ensuring each client owned a unique garment; as well as her ability to flatter every figure.

Ann prided herself on her exclusivity. The well-heeled women who had helped her business expand deserved her loyalty in kind. But there were two downsides to this Faustian bargain: whispered from one socialite to another, the name Ann Lowe was “the best kept secret” among the fashionable upper crust. Not just anyone could have, or perhaps afford, an Ann Lowe creation. And that was how Ann wanted it. But because Ann was a tiny Black woman, it’s hard to reconcile the fact that who she was could not be separated from the reason for the secrecy.

Ann had been designing for the Auchincloss family for years before Mrs. Bouvier Auchincloss brought her daughter Jacqueline in for her wedding gown in 1953. The groom: handsome Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Just like Diana would in 1981, Jacqueline had a very definite artistic vision for her wedding gown, and Ann Lowe was eager to create it for her. But the bride’s future father-in-law had definite ideas of his own. And when all was said and done, the newspapers reported Mrs. Kennedy’s wedding gown as having been made by “a colored seamstress.”

Did Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy herself say those words? Or was that the journalist or her editor speaking? Just when Ann Lowe most needed the recognition, the dismissiveness burned.

Ms. Huguley is a powerful storyteller. And Ann Lowe’s is a powerful story. BY HER OWN DESIGN, with a real-life heroine who pulls herself up by bootstraps of her own devising, is a novel you will want to hug. As you read it, or DEVOUR it, as I did, you will want to hug a friend. You will want to hug a mentor and tell her how much she means to you. You will need Kleenex. You will want to give the novel, and its author—and Ann Lowe—a standing ovation. You will ask the USPS when Ann Lowe will get her own postage stamp.

Ann Lowe passed away in 1981, just months before Lady Diana Spencer would glide down the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral in David Emanuel’s poufy creation. What would she have thought of it? In Ms. Huguley’s talented vision, Ms. Lowe sure loved a lot of fabric!

Huguley’s stunning novel of an indomitable trailblazer is not to be missed. But being the best kept secret in one’s profession is a double-edged sword. It’s high time Ann Lowe gets to be the belle of the haute couture ball after being its unsung fairy godmother for decades, because . . .melanin.

I received a copy of this book from #Netgalley in exchange for a review. I am not compensated for my review and my opinions are entirely my own.

By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley is a wonderfully written, fascinating history of the African American designer Ann Lowe. The author has done an amazing job of capturing the complex voice and history of Ms. Lowe in an engaging story that the reader will not want to put down.

The story takes the reader from Ms. Lowe's beginnings from learning her sewing as child and entering the family business to designing clothing for the top of the Social Register. Ms. Lowe is best known for designing and making Jacqueline Bouvier's wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy. The difficulties and hardships that Ann Lowe had to reach that point are richly told: from her leaving the state with her young child to make a new start, surviving the discrimation she faced everywhere to study design in NY to both the highs and lows in starting and trying to run her own business.

The best historical novels allow the reader to read an engaging and fascinating story while learning about the time and people featured. This is an excellent book, and one people will be glad they read.

What an amazing story about an inspirational woman! We need more of these hidden figure stories to show our children and those who follow us that the road might be rough, but we can triumph. Ann Lowe's life story is a triumph!

For too many years fashion designer Ann Lowe's work has gone uncredited, but Piper Huguley's utterly compelling novel celebrates her incredible designs and work in a gripping story as intricately detailed as one Lowe's gowns. Huguley is masterful in bringing Lowe's voice to life through her struggles and her triumphs. By Her Own Design is a must-read!

By Her Own Design captivated me completely, from beginning to end. Ann Lowe’s voice rings out powerfully from the pages, and the reader will reckon with the world through her eyes—eyes that saw both beauty and tragedy, triumph and erasure.

Piper Huguley has written a masterpiece for the ages, richly crafted with glamorous detail and unflinching emotion.

After I finished reading, I was compelled to do more research and reading on Ann Lowe, which is a hallmark of the best historical fiction. Ann was a strong, ambitious, and immensely talented woman who achieved much in her lifetime, although she wasn’t always credited for those achievements.

Thanks to Piper Huguley, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read early and review.

We're still early in the year, but I have a feeling this is going to be among my top reads of 2022. This is a touching, engrossing novel about a woman scarcely recognized by history, yet she made such an impact on fashion and design in one of the most fiery, iconic eras of both fashion and design. I'm grateful we have such an excellent novel to celebrate her life and her accomplishments.

I can’t remember the last time a book has enchanted me so much. I'm a slow reader; it usually takes me months to read a book, because I like to put them down and pick them back up again, and I typically have five or six reads "in progress" at any given time. However, By Her Own Design sucked me in and kept my full attention right from the start. I mostly credit that to the exceptional voice work. It's rare you find an author who really nails this aspect of craft, yet Piper Huguley writes with an unparalleled voice, bringing the reader deep into the ambitious heart of one of the most influential figures in the history of western fashion. I can't think of many other contemporary authors in historical fiction who can handle voice as deftly as Huguley does.

Ann Lowe is such a wonderful character, too. It's easy for highly ambitious characters to lose the reader's sympathy, but that was never a problem with Ann--another testament to Huguley's exceptional craft. I was one hundred percent committed to Ann and her journey to rise to the upper echelon in the high-stakes field of gown design. I do happen to have "a thing" for the history of fashion, but I think Ann's intriguing life story, from her humble beginnings in rural Alabama to her ending in the heart of the New York fashion scene, is fascinating enough to capture any reader's attention, whether you have a special interest in fashion or not.

Really, I couldn’t put this novel down and I expect it will be among the most celebrated and talked-about this year.

A historical fiction novel about Ann Lowe, a high society Black fashion designer that I had never heard of! Huguley does a great job of giving a life story of the woman who designed Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding dress that nobody knew much about. I love books where I learn about something or someone new, and even though it's fiction, the story is based on research, and I'm glad to know who Ann Lowe is now. Also, I love a good author's note explaining their process and what liberties they take to make the story work.

The story of the best kept secret in high society. By Her Own Design is the story of Ann Lowe, a black designer and granddaughter of slaves in Alabama, who designed the iconic wedding dress of Jacqueline Kennedy, First Lady of the United States.
The story begins a few days before Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy Jr and a pipe has destroyed the wedding dress. We see Ann and her church sisters scrambling to recreate the dresses. Then we are taken back to learn more about Ann's early life in Alabama and her auspicious beginnings to fulfilling her dream in Tampa and then to New York City.
Whew! I finished this in hours. I started in the evening and finished up the next morning. I love historical fiction but I know that its success is based on the research of the writer and talent with which the author is able to weave the story together. Piper Huguley gave me a story that had my eyes glued, I became caught up in this remarkable woman's life. Ann Lowe had the raw talent and creativity but also the tenacity to overcome despite the challenges of her race during that time.
It is uplifting to read about African-Americans who rise above their circumstances and who were able to create a lasting legacy. Ann had so much sadness in her life but that didn't stop her from moving forward. Piper Huguley made me feel as if I were in that time--I felt every scene. Particularly when Ann went to Design School. How my heart ached and yet warmed at how Ann was determined to bloom wherever she was planted.
I absolutely loved this story and I can't wait to read more works like this from Piper Huguley. The author's note just showcased Piper's research and originality--where she added creative pieces that made this read wonderful. Well-written, easy flow and captivating descriptions. I believe readers will get many takeaways and will be lined up waiting for her next historical fiction work. And to think this all began with a tweet.
Thank you #Netgalley for this ARC.