I wonder what Alda Crowe would have said about exposed zippers. You’ve seen them. They’re usually running down the backs of tight-fitting dresses. They constitute a current style. Some might say they’re trendy and acceptable. Others might judge them unsophisticated and fleeting. Would Alda, who’s been described by many as having been quiet and gracious, inwardly cringe? Or would she have made a little joke about how much more quickly she could have sewn a dress without all the care and attention needed to produce a hidden zipper?
I’ve read much about Alda Crowe lately, and I’m thinking she might have cringed. Her dresses were works of art focused on beautiful, often expensive material precisely cut and sewn to flatter the wearer, yes, but also to bring attention to the garments themselves. A visible metal zipper running the length of one of Alda’s dresses would have been heresy.
For a while now, the Lincoln County Historical Association (LCHA) has hosted an Alda Crowe exhibit, “Drawing with Scissors: The Life and Career of Alda Crow,” in its museum at 403 East Main St., Lincolnton. More recently, attention has been to the John and Alda Crowe mansion, which has become an event venue. In honor of Women’s History Month, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned about the amazing Lincoln County-born Alda Keener Crow (1914-1996).
Alda was born in Lincolnton’s Wampum Mill Village. In her family’s mill house, she made acquaintance with her natural-born sewing ability as a youngster. At age 5, with her grandmother as her instructor, Alda stitched a doll dress. She was hooked on the craft, using flour sack cloth to make more and more items.
As a young woman, Alda attended Appalachian State Teacher’s College (now Appalachian State University) with plans to become an art teacher. Then she met John Crow, married him in 1934, and gave birth to their only child, John Crow, Jr., in 1937.
Encountering difficulty finding a teaching position, Alda went to cosmetology school and around the time World War II began, opened Victory Beauty Parlor in Lincolnton. When John was called to serve in the Navy, Alda had to close her salon so she could look after his successful fuel business as well as take care of John, Jr.
At night, however, Alda returned to the work she loved most: designing and sewing dresses, from casual wear to ball gowns and wedding dresses. Women in the community, including the wealthiest, not only bought Alda’s handiwork, but they spread the news of her inventive mind and talented fingers.
John returned from the war, and Alda was able to give more of her time and attention to her love of generating dresses. It wasn’t long until she made headlines by winning all three categories of a prestigious sewing event at Sears and Roebuck in Charlotte.
Alda took another leap into the greater fashion world when she carried an assortment of her ball gowns to the manager of Ivey’s, a popular department store at the time in Charlotte as well as other cities. Alda was no doubt delighted when she was invited to provide gowns for display in Ivey’s storefront during the city’s Thanksgiving parade.
The Alda Crowe label was becoming a sought-after product. A Sept. 27, 1964, Charlotte Observer article by Anne Parrish states, “Petite Alda Crowe of Lincolnton is designing a complete couture collection of cocktail dresses and formals to be shown in Asheville in October. The North Carolina Oil Jobbers will hold their convention at the Grove Park Inn and Alda’s fashion spectacular promises to be the highlight of the week.”
LCHA board president Carole Howell wrote in an article about Alda that she “could cut directly from the fabric to create unique masterpieces of French lace and silk organza. Her reputation as a dress designer for three NC governors’ wives made Lincolnton an unlikely fashion destination.” As Carole explained, Alda not only was noticed by her own state’s major department stores, but also of Saks Fifth Avenue.
Carole also shared the reason for sometimes seeing “Crow” without an “e” and sometimes “Crowe” with an “e.” “In what started as a greasy garage, her shop was located for years at the corner of Oak and Main, right next to a car wash, an inauspicious location for a nationally recognized fashion designer. The name on the building was simply Alda Crowe, the ‘e’ being added for extra flair. The shop drew customers from all over.”
To offers of jobs in New York, Alda politely declined. She preferred living with her family around her in Lincolnton.
Now, to another beautiful Alda Crowe vision-turned-reality: A large image of “The House that Alda Built” is featured in the LCHA exhibit. On a placard is the story of a twelve-bedroom home “invoking the Georgian style of the coast colonial homes she had fallen in love with.” Modeled after the 1750s Carter’s Grove Plantation of Williamsburg, Virginia, the house has 12,000 square feet, a section of which was used by Alda for designing and sewing. The exhibit poster concludes, “The Crow Mansion stands as a reminder of the eccentricities and artistry of Alda Crowe.”
Today, The Crowe Mansion, which sits off Highway 150 in Lincolnton, is under new ownership and used as an event venue. Read more about the mansion at www.thecrowemansion.com.
Mill village house to stately mansion with lots of stops along the way to carve out a place in fashion history. The Alda Crowe story is one of determination, courage, and talent. An astute businesswoman/fashion designer/talented seamstress who remained kind and unpretentious from her early days of trying to find her way in the world to mid-life when she’d made her mark and was enjoying the rewards, Alda Crowe remains an example for all of us.
I still think she’d have been opposed to visible zippers, but, who knows? Alda was a savvy seamstress and crafty designer who was expert with beads, jewels, and embroidery. Maybe she’d have figured a way to add some class to an exposed zipper.
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