Anna Flowers of Bainbridge Island on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Anna Flowers . Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Anna , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of work, I volunteer singing for people who are ill and dying. It’s not glamorous. There are no sequins. In fact, I usually have to dig to the back of my closet for the most drab outfit possible — nothing low-cut, ruffled, or remotely attention-seeking.

But it’s one of the most meaningful things I do. It keeps me deeply human. It reminds me why beauty matters in the first place, how short life really is, and why all the hard work of building something from nothing will be worth it.

There is a fate worse than death — not going after the things you want while you’re here.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Anna Flowers, a designer and founder of Anna Flowers Designs, a luxury womenswear brand rooted in the belief that women are art.

My journey into fashion wasn’t conventional — it came from a personal need to reclaim my voice, my body, and my sense of self. I survived a cult that demanded I be silent and covered, and an abusive marriage that reinforced those beliefs, leaving me an undereducated single mother with sewing as my primary skill.

Today, I create small-batch, hand-crafted pieces that blend rebellion with romance and invite women to take up space and own their sensuality unapologetically.

I’m currently focused on growing the brand with intention, building community, and creating work that feels as meaningful as it is beautiful.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that’s ready to be released is my instinct to immediately defend myself. I recently had a tarot reading that called this out very clearly — that when something someone says offends me, I go straight to armor instead of curiosity.

It’s been an incredible realization, because something truly shifts when you pause, turn inward, and ask more questions instead. Most of the hurtful or unhinged things people say are really reflections of themselves. When you stay calm and ask them to go deeper, the truth usually reveals itself — and it often has very little to do with you.

Releasing the need to defend everything has created more peace, more clarity, and far better conversations. Curiosity turns out to be a much softer — and more powerful — form of strength.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
For most of my life, I was deeply afraid that my lack of formal education would expose me — that I’d be found out, dismissed, or not taken seriously. It kept me playing smaller than I needed to and had me initially entering the fashion world like a beggar, undervaluing myself at every turn.

I asked influencers for favors. I gave designs away hoping to be discovered through someone else’s platform. I assumed visibility was more valuable than boundaries, especially since I had never used social media the way the industry does — only as a tool, not a mirror of how I actually move through the world.

I even completed mentorship assignments that resulted in three custom pieces being stolen because I was too afraid to ask the qualifying questions or require a contract outlining terms, usage, or payment. Fear made me generous when I should have been protected.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Fashion loves to pretend that youth is beauty and beauty is power. It’s lazy thinking. Real power shows up when a woman knows herself, owns her presence, and stops asking for permission — regardless of her age.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What light inside you have you been dimming?
The light I’ve been dimming is my full voice. Social media doesn’t really know me — I’ve softened my edges, edited my opinions, and tried to be more palatable than I actually am.

In truth, I’m crass, irreverent, and deeply skeptical of misogynistic religions and the belief systems woven into our cultural and governmental foundations — the ones that quietly teach women to be smaller, quieter, and more obedient.

I’ve learned that dimming myself doesn’t make my work more accessible; it makes it less honest. The light I’m reclaiming is my willingness to say what I actually believe, trust the right people will find me, and stop apologizing for being inconvenient.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anna.flowers/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaflowersdesigns/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afdfashions
• Other: tiktok @afdfashions

Image Credits
photos in order-

models: @miss.myami @learning_amberlyn
photographer : @dose.photo

models: @fluentindenim
photographer : @gabinomphoto

models: @cassandra.fiona.houck
photographer : @musemeimages

models: @lucycilu111,
photographer : @silas_shc

models: brooklyn_garcia444
photographer : @silas_shc

models: @miss.myami
photographer : tonyburton.photography, @folks.and.flowers

models: @miss.myami, @cassandra.fiona.houck, @elishia_ortiz, @anjichandwani, @iambrittanycrystal, @kimbucha05
photographer : tonyburton.photography, @folks.and.flowers

models: @lucycilu111, @angelicareneofficial
photographer : @silas_shc