ANNA BOLINA - An Interview: Sexy, Smudged, Seductive Fashion
You’ve seen them before. Big graphics screenprinted on tight tube dresses. All the cool girls wear ANNA BOLINA.
Gata paid a visit to Anna Bolina’s Midtown NYC studio, where subversion meets style. Known for her bold logo inspired by the iconic "Parental Advisory" warning, Anna’s designs scream rebellion. "Everything just looks better with it slapped on top," she says, and she's right—her clothes exude a forbidden thrill. They're designed for the ultimate party girl, by someone who once lived that life herself.
Did you ever wonder where her name comes from? GATA’S Senior Editor Andy and Anna talk history, dancing and what it takes to get to do what you want.
ANDY: Do you feel like NYC is the place where you create the best, where you feel most inspired?
ANNA: Definitely. Especially for fashion, there’s an industry here. Originally I’m from Humboldt County, which is up in Northern California. Before I moved here, I didn't think I could make a living off fashion. All of my friends were in the same position, where we all did art stuff, yet we all had day jobs and didn't think that we could live off art. So when I moved here, I was inspired by all of the people that I met who were, as hard as it is in New York, just freelancing or getting gigs and didn't have a 9 to 5.
‘‘I think that New York just attracts people who want a different lifestyle. It's obviously harder in smaller places. And here, you can find a community of people, no matter what type of person you are.’’
ANDY: Did you study fashion?
ANNA: I went to college in the Bay Area and I studied graphic design. I think that's probably why I started with text-based designs.
ANDY: What was the first text slogan that you did?
ANNA: Well, when COVID hit, I was working at strip clubs and I needed money and my roommate was doing screen-printing. So she showed me how to do it and the first ones that I did are actually still the ones that I'm doing currently, such as: “Who are we trying to impress? Do whatever you want. No one gives a fuck.”
ANDY: Did you wear them in the strip club?
ANNA: No, when I was working in strip clubs, I was making stuff in my spare time, but I didn't have the motivation of needing money. I wasn't completely focused on it, so then when the clubs closed, I was like, okay. I needed to figure something out now and I didn't want to go back, because I feel like dancing just takes up so much of my time and is very comfortable.
It’s necessary, to do something challenging, to feel the need to do something to survive, because thats what motivates you. Because even if I don't feel like it. It's like, oh, I have to pay the bills.
ANDY: Tell us what music you like.
ANNA: I like all kinds of music. I love Nu metal, Heavy Techno, 80s music. It’s very all over the place. Hole,Korn, Billy Idol. I like any kind of music that really makes me want to dance or is super intense.
‘‘I really don’t listen to chill music ever’’
ANDY: What do you listen to in the studio?
I mostly put on podcasts or documentaries and my brain just shuts off and I zone out. Unless it's nighttime and I'm here dancing by myself, which happens often, because I love dancing and don't get to party that much anymore, as I'm so busy. So when I'm getting dressed up and put on my heels, I take Instagram content. I'll blast music and dance around here. But during the day, I mostly only listen to music that is very intense or makes me feel something.
ANDY: What's your go-to drink?
ANNA: White Claw Grapefruit.
ANDY: No way.
ANNA: I'm such a lightweight. I'll drink like one dirty martini. I usually just drink White Claw, but only the grapefruit flavor. They're the only one that I can handle. I used to go through long phases. I had a beer phase. I was drinking a 6 pack of Budweiser a night and I would come to a party with a bottle of wine in my purse.
ANDY: Do you design clothing with partying in mind?
ANNA: I think that a lot of people buy my dresses to wear to an event. Depends what level you like it,but a lot of my stuff is pretty short. For me during the day, I’ll wear men's baggy clothing, because I'm always running errands. My logo is based of the parental advisory explicit content symbol. I always just thought that made anything look better.
It feels weird, but there were a lot of reasons why this Fashion Week season wasn’t the best for me to show. So I decided, I’m just going to on next time. I don’t want to do anything if it’s not pushing things forward, getting bigger and better.”
ANDY: New York is so expensive.
ANNA: Yes, everything here is expensive. But for the most part, if you try and keep trying you can find a way. That’s what I’ve learned anyway.
ANDY: You love it though? The 9-5 thing is not for you.
ANNA: I go through periods of being burnt out, but yeah I do. I just could not do the 9 to 5 thing. My parents were very untraditional, l grew up around a lot of people who were different and not conforming to society. So when I moved here, I was like fuck it. I'm just going to start dancing for a little bit, till I figure out what I can do that will allow me to be creative and build a community. Then I, landed on fashion. Fashion is about selling clothes in the end. Rather than making art, it's something that everyone, like, needs. There's something nice about that.
ANDY: (points at arm tattoo) Is that the Anne Boleyn necklace? From Henry the Eighth?
ANNA: You're actually one of the first people to ever make the connection. Everyone thinks that’s my name. But that's where the brand name comes from. I got this tattoo, because I love her story. Then I changed my Instagram name to Anna Bolina which is her name in the Latin translation. You have probably seen itin that famous portrait written in the corner. My full first name is actually Anna Lee. Like, no one could ever remember. They were like, Anna? What? And so then I changed my Instagram name to Anna Bolina. And then when I started making clothes, everyone just started calling it Anna Bolina.
ANDY: What do you what exactly did you love about her story?
ANNA: I just think it is crazy that she was able to fuck shit up and change the course of history way back then. If you think about just the ripple effects of, like, every move and it's, like, really amazing. You know, like good or bad, it's just like she just changed the course of European history and American history.
ANDY: Would you ever consider venturing outside of the fashion realm?
ANNA: I definitely will eventually. I feel like I'm kind of not naturally the type of person tostick to one thing forever. Like, obviously, I'm not gonna ditch fashion, but I think that adding other aspects would be helpful. I like performing. I feel like it would be sick if someone if I was like, in a band, but I'm not musically talented. But I would, like, I would love to be, like, the singer in a band. So I'm like, how where do I fit in?
Maybe, some kind of band where I'm screaming and dancing or something like that. I don't know. I don't care. That'd be cool. But that's the only thing that; I really wanna do that. Actually, my boyfriend took me to a concert for the first time a few months ago. I hadn't been out in forever and I was just dancing so crazy, everyone was getting so annoyed and he was like,
'Hey, we need to get you on a stage and I was like, 'I know.'
Interview and Fotos by Andrea Riano