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Elizabeth Keckley was born a slave in 1818 and learned to sew from her mother. Keckley was hired out as a seamstress to help her financially strapped owner and in time saved enough to purchase her freedom as well as her son’s. Her reputation as a talented dressmaker provided financial independence and allowed her to relocate her family to WashingtonD.C. Elizabeth’s talent soon gained recognition among the elite and other prominent families where she became the personal dressmaker for Mary ToddLincoln. Keckley’s popularity created business opportunities and employed nearly 20 seamstresses. Elizabeth continued her work as a philanthropist and supported mass efforts that provided relief to newly freed slaves relocating toUnion States. Keckley published her autobiography“Behind the Scenes, 30 Years A Slave and Four Years in The White House”, which is a controversial piece, yet remains a vital piece of African American history. Later on, she became the head of the Department of Sewing and Domestic Science Arts at Ohio's Wilberforce University.

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Ann Lowe was born in Clayton, Alabama, in 1898 and was the daughter and granddaughter of accomplished seamstresses. As a young child she would use the left-over scraps from her mother’s work to make flowers and embellishments, later to become a signature design aesthetic. While growing up,Ann was truly gifted in her own right. After her mother passed suddenly when she was 16, Ann stepped in to complete her mother’s dress commissions and continued her work for the first lady of Alabama. In 1917, Lowe studied at NewYork's S.T. Taylor Design School which was segregated but whose work was exceptional and often used as best-in-class examples. After her studies, Ann continued to design dresses for the social elite and eventually found herself making the wedding gown for Jackie Bouvier Kennedy and the entire wedding party. However, Lowe often found herself in financial strains due to under pricing her work and opting for higher quality materials. After declaring bankruptcy and finding a renewed business outlook, Ann went on to find success with her own store on 5th Ave, collaborating with other popular designers and having her designs sold in high-end department stores. Lowe’sgowns have been described as unbelievable in detail with her use of lace lined seams, interior bras and slip structures with a tulled hem for holding shape.Her work was exquisite, extremely high-end and one-of-a-kind.