Before she became a style icon and much-loved First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy O’Nassis was Jacqueline Bouvier, a George Washington University graduate, and inquiring photographer.
The course of her life changed when she met then-Congressman John F Kennedy and fell in love. The pair married in a lavish Newport, Rhode Island wedding. For her big day, the future First Lady was a vision in a buffant ivory silk-taffeta gown, which has gone down in history as one of the most iconic wedding dresses.
Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress has a surprising history and was created by Black seamstress Ann Lowe. Lowe was an incredibly talented designer who opened the door for many other independent designers of colour. As one of the first known black designers, however, she faced constant discrimination as she fought to become one of the most sought-after couturiers for the American elite. Among her customers were famed American families like the du Ponts, the Roosevelts, the Rockefellers, and the Kennedys.
Lowe was well acquainted with the Bouvier family and was thus commissioned to design Kennedy’s wedding dress in 1953. Julia Faye Smith, author of Ann Lowe’s biography Something to Prove, says it took Lowe and her team of seamstresses two months to complete the ornate creation that utilised over 50 yards of silk taffeta.
However, a mere 10 days before the big day, everything went wrong. Lowe’s studio was flooded by a broken waterline, which ruined not only the wedding dress but also the bridesmaids’ dresses.
A disaster like this could destroy Lowe’s reputation. So, she swallowed her sadness, purchased more fabric, hired extra help, and completely recreated the gown within a matter of days.
The dress was completed and stunned everyone. However, Lowe came out of the deal losing $2,000 instead of making a profit on what was her biggest wedding gown to date. She never told the family what happened. To make matters even sadder, Lowe never received proper credit for her hard work. When asked who made her famous dress, Kennedy told reporters, “a colored dressmaker did it.”
Lowe and Kennedy continued to work together on a number of occasions after the wedding. Smith explains that the women developed a mutual respect for one another. When she began losing her eyesight and her business, Lowe was financially saved by a mysterious benefactor. Lowe believed it was the First Lady who secretly stepped in to save her business.
Lowe died at age 82, with her business never truly reaching the degree of fame it should have.
“We need to remember Ann as a woman who, in the face of some of great adversity, persevered,” says Smith to Elle. “She knew what she was capable of doing, and she worked throughout her life to achieve it. From the Jim Crow South to the skyscrapers of New York, there were obstacles placed before her, but she proved that a designer of her race, or of any race, could become a major designer.”
Feature image: Pinterest
While at first you may think that choosing a wedding venue is as simple as finding the one that you consider the most beautiful, unfortunately, that is not…
Royal weddings are often the stuff of fairytales, so it seems fitting that a curse would somehow be involved. A real-life curse may be true for one Royal family. According to legend, The Grimaldi Royal Family of Monaco is cursed and will never have a true happily-ever-after.
How the curse came to be is a bit of a mystery. One report of a 13th-century legend tells the tale of a Flemish woman who was raped by Prince Rainier I. In retaliation, she cursed the House, saying that “never will a Grimaldi find true happiness in marriage”.
Another tale says that a witch being burnt at the stake said those immortal words preventing a true happily-ever-after.
Over the course of the family’s 700-year-long rule, they have experienced much heartbreak and tragedy. Here are just a few of the ways the family has been unlucky in love:
Grace Kelly’s death
The Grimaldi family rose to international fame in 1952 when Prince Rainier III married Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly. However, their marriage was not the stuff of fairytales. Kelly reportedly struggled with the intense demand and expectation that comes with being a royal.
In 1982, the superstar actress tragically died in a car accident at the age of 52. She had reportedly suffered a stroke while driving with her daughter Stephanie. Dr. Jean Chatelain, chief surgeon at the hospital where she was treated, says she might have survived had she been at home and not in the car.
Princess Caroline
Grace Kelly and Prince Renier’s eldest daughter Caroline had a short-lived marriage to French banker Philippe Junot, and also lost her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi, in a tragic accident. Casiraghi, a professional speedboat racer, died in a powerboat crash off the coast of Monaco in 1990 while he was competing in his last race before retiring from the sport. Only weeks earlier, the racer had survived an incident in which his boat exploded.
Her third marriage to Prince Ernst August V of Hanover has had its ups and downs. The Prince is said to have a terrible temper and has faced assault charges in the past. The couple are now estranged.
Princess Stephanie
Grace Kelly’s other daughter, Princess Stephanie was long considered the wild child of the family and brought even more scandal when she married her bodyguard, Daniel Ducruet after having children with him. The relationship ended when his affair with Miss Topless Belgium went public. She was also briefly married to a Portuguese acrobat 10 years her junior.
Prince Albert
Grace Kelly’s son Prince Albert II and wife Charlene Wittstock have also reportedly been unlucky in love. The Prince fathered two illegitimate children, one with a flight attendant from Togo and another with a US estate agent before he married South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock. Reports that he fathered a third love child while he was in a relationship with Wittstock were highly publicised in the lead up to their 2011 wedding.
Whether it’s the result of a curse or sheer bad luck, one thing is for sure. The House of Grimaldi has been anything but lucky in love.
Feature image: Pinterest
A bride reportedly demanded a refund from her wedding photographer after they publically supported the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, but her actions ended up backfiring. Shakira Rochelle…
A little bit of sparkle never hurt anyone. Glamorous brides who aren’t afraid of a little over-the-top design will love a sparkly wedding gown that shines like the star they are.
Sparkly wedding dresses are perfect for winter weddings or glamorous themes. Go opulent with intricate beading, sequins or rhinestones to elevate your look. Depending on the detailing, these shiny additions can give a vintage effect or go full-on modern day princess.
If you love a bit of glitz and glam, try out one of these gowns.
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Feature image: Pexels
Despite being the recipient of multiple awards, including three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards, George Clooney’s reputation for being a bachelor is what drew the attention of…
Iconic musician Rod Stewart and English model, photographer and TV personality Penny Lancaster have reached a new milestone. The couple recently celebrated their 13-year wedding anniversary, and they seem happier than ever.
Despite lockdown, the pair still honoured their special day. Lancaster shared an image to Instagram, revealing that the pair went to Hyde Park in London and had a take-out lunch to celebrate.
“Celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary with a trip into London for a take out in Hyde park, cheers everyone ? good health!” she captioned the image.
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Stewart also took to Instagram to express his love for his long-time partner.
“Cheers to my beautiful wife, 13-in-a-row #weddinganniversary,” he wrote.
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The couple began dating in 1999 and married in 2007. Stewart explains that Lancaster changed him for the better and helped him realise the importance of a long-lasting, healthy marriage.
Stewart still seems to be head-over-heels for his wife. Earlier this year, he told The Mirror that, “They have not invented the words for how I feel about her. She is everything”.
They have two children together: 12-year-old Alastair Wallace Stewart and 9-year-old Aiden Patrick Stewart.
Feature image: Instagram / Penny Lancaster