This is a story of how pursuing interests can prove to be successful. Ovalle has never stuck to just one interest; she is a stylist, photographer, current master’s student in communications at UTSA– and now a breakout designer. “Fashion is part of my everyday life,” Ovalle said. “I love making [people] feel good through passion. I love making other people feel good [in] their passion.”
When Anna Ovalle was asked to display her work at the Viva Botanical Garden showcase on sustainability, she was elated. “So when the fashion business network reached out to me and asked, ‘Do you want to do a show and make five looks?’ I was like, Oh, absolutely.”
Ovalle’s sustainability values come from her latin heritage “[I am a] Latina from SATX, and that’s just a huge part of my identity, I have always grown up in a household where sustainability is a core focus, reusing cookie tins for sewing and things of that sort.”
Not only does Ovalle use sustainability in her designs but also in her work as a stylist.
“As a stylist, I almost always find second hand pieces. I’m thrifting pieces personally for my clients,” Ovalle said. “It’s a good way to not only help the Earth, but to find one of the time pieces after their store.”
Unveiled at the show was a set of business casual garments elevated through the use of film stills along the hems of the garment, with a final piece of a full corset of film stills.
She uses her own photos in her work in the form of stills. “The corset that’s made of film entirely [is a] newer piece, it has my blood,sweat, and tears in it,” Orvalle said. “I used all the films from past projects. And that was photography that I took pictures of.”
Setting up for the event was a breeze for experienced Ovalle as she dealt with stress as a costume designer at Six Flags.
“We did quick changes in the middle of shows and plays, and if you know anything about theater or costume changes like those, things are so stressful.”
Her success was not a guaranteed thing but her willingness to take on odd jobs prepared her for the hectic nature of life as a designer.
“They gave me a two weeks notice to make all these outfits, it was just like a lot of having me sitting down in front of the machine idea making,” Ovalle said. “I didn’t even have time to sketch the designs. I just kind of brought them to life and asked people around me to trust me and everything came together.”
Anna describes herself as working as an official designer for a year and half, and to go from beginnings to having her first show in less than a year shows that fast turn-arounds are just a part of her life.
“I took a class in costume design in my undergrad [at St Mary’s University] fall of 2023 and I met a local artist later that year, I got to make my first music video outfit.” Ovalle said. “I also did a local red carpet for the Texas Pura Vida awards show. I still have imposter syndrome, I don’t know what it’s gonna take for me to be like, ‘Yes, I’m officially a designer, but I am.’”
Leaving the show, Ovalle reflected on design as her full time calling or a hobby “I love styling, I love fashion, but I equally love[what] I’m doing [with] my master’s right now,” Ovalle said. I’m doing communication research at UTSA [and] I’m studying Title IX research, which is the department that handles sexual assault cases on institutions and educational campuses. I feel like I am forced to choose, I’m told a lot, it’s all or nothing. You have to dedicate your whole life to this. And I love this, but I equally love the research that I do. So I feel a bit of imposter syndrome that I am not doing this full time, but I love it full time.”
Ovalle is an example of how you don’t have to pick a lane to stay in to be successful, but rather when combining interest one can come out with something truly unique. For those looking for more of Ovalle’s work, they should go to her Instagram @alatinafromsatx.
