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Dress designed by Ann Lowe

African American Museum

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    Object Details

    Designed by

    Ann Lowe, American, 1898 - 1981

    Subject of

    Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007

    Description

    Cream and red taffeta gown designed by Ann Lowe. The dress is sleeveless with an asymmetric neckline and a full floor-length skirt. The dress is made from cream silk taffeta with dark red taffeta accents. The bodice is fitted to the natural waist and has shoulder straps and a vertically pleated section at the proper left breast that stands slightly taller than the rest of the bodice. The skirt is a faux-wrap that is seamed to an attached petticoat down the center front, with the proper right side folding on top of the proper left side and gathered at the proper left waist. The underside of the fold is lined in dark red taffeta that shows to the facing side in the cascading folds. Two (2) very large loops lined in the dark red are gathered and attached at the proper left waist, both loops falling to the front of the dress. A pleated band of cream taffeta attaches underneath the bow and wraps around the back of the dress, ending at a point in the back with a weight sewn inside the point. The dress closes at the center back with a zipper and one (1) hook-and-eye.
    The interior of the bodice is lined in cream silk faille. Boning is sewn into the lining around the bodice. Circles of soft padding cased in the cream faille are sewn at each breast cup. A thin band of elastic is tacked across the front bodice outlining the bottom breast cups. A wider band of elastic is tacked at the center front under the bust and fastens at the center back with two (2) metal hook-and-eyes. An interior waist band support made from cream ribbon is sewn around the interior waist, fastening at the center back with two (2) metal hook-and-eyes. Hanger loops made from cream ribbon are sewn at each interior side. The attached silk faille and buckram crinoline of the skirt fastens at the center back interior skirt with one (1) metal snap and one (1) metal hook-and-eye at the top of the crinoline. Both the crinoline and the skirt hem are trimmed in plastic buckram. A white fabric label with black embroidered text is sewn to the interior center front of the waist band support that reads "fashioned exclusively / at / Ann Lowe's / Gowns".

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane

    Date

    mid-1950s

    Object number

    2007.3.25

    Restrictions & Rights

    No Known Copyright Restrictions
    Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    dresses

    Medium

    silk taffeta, silk faille, buckram, elastic, and metal fasteners

    Dimensions

    H x W (flat): 55 1/2 × 42 in. (141 × 106.7 cm)

    Place made

    New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Collection title

    Black Fashion Museum Collection

    Classification

    Clothing - Fashion and Historical

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    Clothing and dress
    Design
    Fashion
    Fashion design
    Social life and customs
    Women

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd56512c80d-35e6-43dc-b60f-73d23cdbd35b

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2007.3.25

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