57 pages • 1 hour read
By Her Own Design
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Character Analysis
Ann Lowe
Content Warning: This section discusses racism, rape, verbal abuse, and deaths of family members.
Ann is the story’s protagonist who changes from a naive, mistreated, and loyal girl into a savvy, determined, and prestigious designer. Her constant character traits include determination, boldness, creativity, and vibrance. Ann’s main essence revolves around being a fashion artist, as sewing and designing are her passions, which highlights the theme of The Evolution of American Fashion): “Sewing was my way of seeing the world, of feeling the world. I had to get back to it” (98). As a child, Ann is already a talented seamstress who invents her popular cloth flowers and dreams of being an expert seamstress. Because she wants to grow up to be a successful seamstress like Mama and Grandma immediately, she makes the mistake of marrying Lee far too young. When she decides to flee with Arthur to Tampa, Ann showcases dynamic growth because she’s braver and more committed to putting Arthur’s safety, her own safety, and her calling first, learning to never compromise her self-worth, dreams, or well-being again.
Ann takes her work seriously, always working hard on every garment and saving money for her shop. She shows an innate talent not just for unique patterns but for having insight into her clients: “I could see she carried a lot of worry on her face. […] A man’s treatment of his wife always showed up in his wife’s face, telling me what kind of dress was necessary: a dress to recapture or to keep his attention” (94). Huguley hence suggests through Ann that hardships lead to increased empathy.
Ann’s determination to achieve her goals is a consistent aspect of her characterization. Without her refusal to surrender, Ann would have stayed with Lee; never opened her shop; succumbed to depression after the deaths of Mama, Grandma, and Arthur; and stopped working as soon as she was diagnosed with glaucoma. She wouldn’t have been able to handle other conflicts, like her divorce from Caleb or the IRS taking her shop, without relying on her core tenacity. Because she is so hopeful and purposeful, Ann cannot be deterred. In fact, she only closes her shop for an extended period of time when she grieves Arthur. Otherwise, she is an energetic, hardworking woman who adores her job and refuses to retire until she’s over 70. In every chapter, Huguley showcases Ann’s unflinching drive to be a successful, famous designer, which allows her to provide for Athur and build a legacy as one of the most celebrated designers.
Mama and Grandma
Mama and Grandma are Ann’s mentors, protectors, and ongoing guides even after their deaths. Throughout her whole life, Ann greatly admires Mama and Grandma for their lovely gowns and alterations. Mama and Grandma guide her in many things—from how to sew, to how to act properly around white people, to how to not get pregnant too young. Though Mama fails to keep Ann away from Lee, Grandma giving Ann the special tea is an essential example of mentoring because it saves Ann from giving birth at a dangerously young age. Mama also acts as Ann’s protector when she speaks to Lee about letting Ann sew with them again, and this fight for her daughter ends with Mama being raped. Mama endures the trauma of rape from Lee and still doesn’t give up on her daughter, returning again to make sure that Lee lets Ann come work on dresses. These aspects highlight the power of community, particularly among Black women due to the racism and sexism that they face.
After Mama and Grandma both pass away, Ann feels sorrowful but continues to think of them often. Therefore, they are both “present-absent” characters, a writing technique that means that the characters aren’t physically in the scenes (absent) but still have an influence in the present. They influence Ann through her memory; numerous times, she recalls Mama and Grandma’s sacrifices, advice, and wisdom. Ann wonders, “What if Mama and Grandma could see me now, on this airplane, going to Paris?” (242), and later she thinks, “It’s my shop […] on Lexington Avenue in New York City. A place my mama and grandma never could have even imagined I would go. But they saw something. And claimed it for me in their prayers” (266). Ann never lets Mama and Grandma go, making their presence a unique type of mentorship and an ongoing motif.
Lee Cone
Lee is an early love interest and antagonist. Though Lee is at first kind, complimentary, and tender, he soon reveals himself as a much darker person. He is Ann’s main antagonist in the novel because he verbally and sexually abuses her, exploits her talents for sewing, and suffocates her creative dreams. By choosing to manipulate Ann, Lee displays his true cunning, selfish, and remorseless personality. Not only does Lee marry a 12-year-old girl, but he abuses her as well, underscoring his villainy. At Lee’s hand, Ann suffers some of her most extreme conflicts, including rape and emotional control. When Ann detaches herself from Lee, she realizes that their love was never real and vows never to be with a man who treats her so poorly again. Huguley highlights the suffering that young Black women had to endure during this time, but portraying this relationship with Lee is vital for Ann’s characterization since she learns lessons about love, safety, and self-worth from this marriage.
Mrs. Josephine Lee
As an essential secondary character and Ann’s patron, Mrs. Lee is the sole reason that Ann escapes from her life of abuse and fear in Alabama. Without Mrs. Lee’s care and financial assistance, Ann may never have left Lee, attended design school, or earned enough money to start her own shop. Ann owes some of her success to Mrs. Lee’s positive influence. Mrs. Lee is generous, altruistic, friendly, and wealthy. She shows all these qualities when she invites Ann into her home, pays for her design school, sets her up with other wealthy clients, and even pays for a more elaborate wedding for her and Caleb. She never asks for any money in return, always giving Ann gifts instead of loans, and sincerely cares about Ann’s happiness and achievements. As one of numerous examples, Mrs. Lee encourages Ann to retain her dream when she marries Caleb: “Keep your shop nest egg in your own name. Not Annie West, but Annie Cone” (199). She champions Ann tirelessly, almost like a mother figure, and never stops helping her accomplish her goals because she believes in Ann’s talent and cares for her as a person. At the same time, Huguley uses Mrs. Lee to portray the complexities of white patronage of Black endeavors since she often fails to understand Ann’s challenges or priorities; for example, she uses her power of influence to convince Ann to have a wedding that she does not truly want.
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy
As another secondary character essential to the plot, Jacqueline is sensible, polite, beautiful, and usually cool with others. Huguley links Jacqueline’s timeline with Ann’s from the moment they meet, frequently referencing Jacqueline’s life through the papers, the television, and her fashion choices. In this way, Jacqueline’s story overlaps with Ann’s and makes her a “present-absent” character, much like Mama and Grandma. Ann and Jacqueline may not have many face-to-face encounters, but they still influence each other. For instance, Ann prevents Jacqueline from falling apart emotionally over her father not attending her wedding, while Jacqueline gives Ann the biggest wedding dress job of her life—which eventually leads to Jacqueline’s half-sister citing Ann as a key designer. A part of Ann’s legacy is owed to Jacqueline because she gives Ann the chance at a historical design and leads to her being recognized by society, despite racism of the time. Jacqueline also saves Ann from financial ruin in the text when she helps her with the IRS. Nevertheless, Huguley highlights Jacqueline’s racism in noting that she never names Ann as a designer, again drawing attention to the uneasy relationship between Black endeavors and white patronage.
When Jacqueline first enters Ann’s store, she is described as reserved, caring toward her mother, and intelligent. Like Ann, she takes charge and has a keen fashion sense, sharing the best style ideas for her mother’s figure. Later, though Jacqueline is normally unruffled and reserved, her coolness fades when she shows Ann her vulnerable side by crying over her father’s absence. Jacqueline has a layered, nuanced personality with many complex traits. For instance, she often doesn’t reveal her depth to others—which is why Ann only overhears that Jacqueline dislikes her wedding gown.
Jacqueline’s disapproval of the gown gives Ann a large conflict to solve because her work has never been disparaged; Ann has to work harder than ever to not only complete Jacqueline’s gown in time but also make sure that she approves of the dress and will praise it. This necessary conflict helps Ann grow as a designer and ultimately allows Jacqueline to feel beautiful and comfortable in her gown—a gown that will go down in history and lead to the publication of this novel, focused on the “best-kept-secret” designer. The conflict also reinforces the racial power dynamics in the text since Ann must work hard to please Jacqueline.
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