You can't hide your personality: meet Ana Savicka

Show me someone at UNDRESS who hasn't compared Ana to Anna Wintour, the legendary editor-in-chief of VOGUE. Both have their own distinctive style, strong opinions, impeccable posture, high standards, magnetic charisma, and a recognizable signature in both their personal image and brand communication.

With the launch of her new collection, NO NAME, Ana seems to have turned a new page in the UNDRESS story, showing her character not only by disregarding the traditional rules of the fashion business - seasonality, the constant pressure to surprise, and the creation of fashion FOMO - but also by exploring new territory. For the first time, the brand synonymous with elegant, minimalist dresses has expanded its offering to include skirts and coats.

So, what's next? First, let's get to know Ana and her personality a little better.

What shaped your personal style? What were the most interesting stages of its evolution?

I'm a true child of Gariūnai, Lithuania's famous open-air market, in the early years of independence. The kind of child who tried on jeans in the middle of winter while standing on a piece of cardboard laid directly on the ground.

Until I was about sixteen, my parents bought my clothes, and that was a pretty painful chapter. I'd always come home from Gariūnai in tears, having argued with them and been called an “ungrateful child” because I wasn't happy with what they'd chosen for me. My parents wanted practical things. I wanted something else.

When I turned sixteen, I was given a little more freedom. My parents still paid for my clothes, but they let me choose. I remember wearing a T-shirt embroidered with the word “Love,” purple flared jeans with slits, and purple shoes. The height of fashion! I wore that outfit all spring and summer.

Then came silver handbags, embroidered bags and belts. I embroidered and sewed all sorts of little bags myself, tied scarves around my head, and wore enormous earrings. It was a wonderful period of experimentation.

During my student years, I got hooked on secondhand shops. At one point, I even had my own vintage Etsy store. I'd buy quality old-school pieces, wash and restore them, photograph myself wearing them, and sell them. I knew which brands to look for and managed to find some amazing clothes. I still have some of them because they're so fun and well-made.

That mix-and-match phase - a little something new, a little something secondhand - lasted until I was about twenty-five. I thought I was incredibly stylish.

Then UNDRESS came along, and my style evolved into more or less what it is today: more understated, calmer, without too much aesthetic drama. Monochromatic colors, minimalist elegance, and classic silhouettes.

What's the oldest piece of clothing in your wardrobe?

The first dresses, blazer, and skirt I made at vocational school. They're not particularly beautiful or precisely made, but I can't bring myself to throw them away or sell them. They've been hanging in my wardrobe for twelve years now.

I don't buy many clothes, but I've noticed that I keep bringing home dresses I plan to wear someday. I probably have ten that have never even left my wardrobe. And yet I still want to keep them.

Your most memorable dress?

“This Must Be It.” The very first UNDRESS dress, which I designed, cut, and sewed entirely myself, making every possible sewing mistake along the way. It's still in my wardrobe.

Last year, we recreated it, with some changes, of course, and called it SONORA. But it wasn't as popular as the original.

“This Must Be It” is the very foundation of UNDRESS, the essence of its style identity, the cherry on top.

How have women changed over your eleven years of creating UNDRESS?

They've matured alongside me. They've gotten older (smiles). I was twenty-eight when I started; now I'm forty.

In the beginning, I confidently created revealing, almost “naked” dresses and experimented a lot. Today, I approach the UNDRESS audience with more empathy.

We begin creating from our own feelings, but life and experience teach us to consider other people's feelings more and more, and to adapt our creative ambitions to their needs.

Where I once relied mostly on instinct, I now also look at sales figures, listen to what customers tell me, and pay attention to what I observe when women try on dresses.

Being able to tell in a split second what suits someone, sometimes even challenging a woman's own beliefs by suggesting a dress she wouldn't normally consider, but which turns out to be completely “her” - is that an innate talent or a learned skill?

Twenty percent innate, eighty percent learned.

The innate part goes back to the birth of UNDRESS. I started designing dresses precisely because I felt a natural connection to them. I've always understood them intuitively and had a sense of why one dress suits one woman and another suits someone else.

Over eleven years, my team and I have seen so many different bodies and types of women that today, a quick glance at a customer - from her hair color to the length of her legs - is enough for us to know what to suggest: the right length, silhouette, and level of boldness.

Fashion designers today are no longer simply people who create collections. They're increasingly visible and vocal, becoming the faces of their brands, with their personalities and private lives shaping their brands' identities. How comfortable are you with this shift?

I enjoy watching other designers, and I'm a little envious, in the nicest possible way, of those who feel completely at home in this new role.

For a long time, I avoided sharing personal details and enjoyed staying in the shadow of UNDRESS. I know I'm shooting myself in the foot, but I genuinely prefer observing, admiring, or even occasionally throwing a little shade rather than putting myself and my private world on display.

When I see a successful example of personality-driven communication, I get a little jealous, thinking I could perhaps do it even better. But... if I didn't do it when the time was right, I'm not going to start now.

Still, I'm glad there's relatively little information about me on the internet.

What are the three most recent photos in your phone gallery?

Here they are.

Jewelry I was choosing for the NO NAME collection photoshoot, my daughter with her face covered in glitter, and a shot from yesterday's fitting at the sewing workshop.

Nowhere do attitudes, names, and values seem to change as quickly as in fashion. What personal quality has helped you not only survive but succeed in this world?

Consistency. Not constantly jumping from one thing to another.

At UNDRESS, we stay focused on what we do best: making dresses. That's what people know us for. If someone is wondering what to wear to a celebration, UNDRESS is definitely one of the names that comes to mind.

I've often been advised to offer the market something more, something different, something broader. But I've always stuck to my vision.

Our new collection includes skirts and two coats, but dresses remain at the heart of everything, along with our philosophy of timeless style rather than chasing trends.

When customers visit UNDRESS, they find what they expect. I'm convinced people appreciate things that don't change.

Which UNDRESS collection is your favorite?

They're all close to my heart, and I treasure every one of them. But there are a few whose photoshoots are particularly special and beautiful to me.

AW25, AW23, AW20 with Justina Jarutė - that one is very dear to me. SS17 is even more special.

While preparing for it, I personally painted the wall of a friend's loft in pastel shades so everything would look exactly as I'd imagined. And it did. Beautiful, light, and lovely.

Business is full of uncomfortable situations. Have you developed a particular method for dealing with them?

Don't panic.

I used to be much more dramatic, but over time I've learned to handle things differently.

My method is this: when a problem arises, I allow myself five minutes to make a big deal out of it. Then I tell myself it's not the end of the world, that I'll figure it out, and I put it aside for an hour or two.

After that break, I get down to solving it.

There are always bigger problems in the world than whatever happened at work today.

What's something you've done for the very first time recently?

Lately, I've been trying all sorts of unusual activities.

I wanted to get out of the house at least one evening a week, so I became interested in ceramics. I made some pots, mushrooms, and plates. I really enjoyed it, especially the wonderful sense of connection with a group of women I'd never met before.

A couple of years ago, I became obsessed with high-altitude mountaineering and the Himalayas.

And today, I'm attending my very first climbing class. I want to learn all sorts of technical skills because next spring, a friend and I are planning to trek to Everest Base Camp. I'm really looking forward to it.

At work, there are new firsts almost every day, and I learn so much. But it's the personal ones I enjoy most.

It's incredibly cute to discover that there are still things in life that can make you so passionately curious.

What's your favorite way to spend time on yourself?

Mushroom picking, forests, the seaside, our country house, nature, friends, a glass of prosecco.

I need both people and nature.

I enjoy being alone, but I also miss company. And when friends come over with their children and all our kids get along, what could be better?

What's something you haven't done in a long time that you'd like to do again?

I'd like to have another child.

Yes, I really want a third child, but I don't want to go through pregnancy and childbirth again. I'm just too lazy.

What am I supposed to do?! (laughs)

UNDRESS has many dresses designed to be worn without a bra. What do you think about the bra-free or no-bra movements?

I'm all for them, although it's easy for me to say because I have small breasts.

I remember girls feeling self-conscious about their breasts when we were teenagers. I never worried about mine or about having to wear bras I didn't want to wear.

I've always liked having small breasts. They've always suited me and given me a sense of freedom.

When I hear how difficult it can be to wear dresses with a larger bust, I'm quietly grateful that I don't have to worry about cup sizes. Simple bralettes work perfectly for me.

I support the no-bra movement, but the most important thing is how a woman feels.

If going without a bra makes her anxious or uncomfortable, then she's better off wearing one. Any movement should reflect how women actually feel, not pressure them into discomfort.

Even I sometimes find myself in awkward situations, especially in formal settings. When it's cold and my nipples show through my dress, I sometimes wonder whether I'm being a little too daring.

Still, I'm happy that wearing a bra isn't a necessity for me.

What's your least favorite household chore?

Generally, I take whatever needs doing in stride. If something has to be done, I'll do it.

But the one thing I really hate is mopping floors.

I've had dogs for the past fifteen years, and I like living in a clean home, but I absolutely hate washing floors.

When I met my husband, I told him straight away: I'm not mopping floors.

I can vacuum several times a day if necessary, but my husband does the mopping.

I also dislike vacuuming the car and helping the kids with homework.

And even at work, for example, I don't particularly enjoy the process of creating collections. What I love is when they're finally released into the world and I'm free of them.

What's the very first thing you do when you walk into the UNDRESS boutique?

I turn off the alarm, open the doors, put on some music, and make myself a coffee.

Are you self-critical, or are you more inclined to love and accept yourself?

I love and accept myself. I don't see much point in getting overly worked up about things.

Sometimes I worry about my supposedly fat arms, my less-than-perfect curves, whether I'm too indifferent or not creative enough, or whether I've cooked something that doesn't taste very good.

But in general, I love myself, I like myself, and I hope other people like me too.

Who's your favorite musician?

I really love music, but I've never had a list of all-time favorite songs or one particular artist I adore.

I go through phases of listening to different genres. There are songs I play over and over again, then forget about for five years, only to rediscover them.

It's similar with films. I forget them, rediscover them, and forget them again.

But there are no films or songs I'd call my absolute must-haves.

Which film has the most beautiful dresses?

I have a story about that.

In one scene from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Kate Hudson wears a yellow backless dress.

I had a seamstress make me an exact copy for my school graduation, only in the color of fresh spring grass.

I still adore that dress. It's somewhere at my mum's house.

You came up with UNDRESS during a sleepless night. What do you think about now when you can't sleep?

Actually, I haven't slept well for the past few nights, so I'm feeling irritable and tired.

The full moon used to affect me quite strongly. These days, it's more the waxing moon, though not nearly as dramatically or as often.

Sleep is incredibly important to me. I absolutely love sleeping.

So the only thing I do when I can't fall asleep is try even harder to fall asleep.

My brother lives in Bali, where the days are short and the sun sets between six and seven in the evening, so people get up incredibly early.

Whenever I visit, my brother keeps encouraging me to wake up earlier because mornings in Bali are wonderful.

And they really are wonderful. I'm happy when I manage to get up early, but I'm even happier whenever I don't have to get up at six.

I simply wasn't made to be an early riser.

What's still the greatest pleasure of being a fashion designer?

Fabrics.

I love choosing them and buying them. I get so much pleasure just from looking at them.

While I'm selecting fabrics, I don't even think about what I could create with them. I simply enjoy the experience.

But when the fabrics arrive and it's time to cut, sew, make mistakes, and turn them into dresses, that's when things get difficult for me.

That's the part of a fashion designer's life that drives me absolutely crazy.

What advice would you give a woman who opens her wardrobe and has a meltdown, declaring, “I have nothing to wear!”?

Close the wardrobe, think again, and then open it once more.

There's definitely at least one outfit in every wardrobe that's suitable for today.

I'm actually terrible at giving style advice.

I think the best thing to do is calm down, invest in a few wardrobe essentials, and stop overthinking what to wear.

Women are afraid of showing up at a party and finding someone else wearing the exact same dress...

There are much scarier things in life to worry about. Little dramas over dresses really aren't worth it.

People only fight over things like that in films. In real life, it should become the joke of the evening, something you'll laugh about when you remember it years later.

Once, while browsing a photo gallery from the Žmonės Awards, I realized that three women at the event were wearing the exact same UNDRESS dress.

We'd made only twenty of them! You'd think the probability of another woman wearing the same dress on the same evening would be almost zero, but there they were — three of them!

So what do you do? Have a fun photoshoot together!

Later, I found out that's exactly what our UNDRESS customers had done. They turned a potential drama into a good laugh.

Which fashion designer's work do you absolutely love?

Valentino.

I admire the elegance of his subtle flirtation and his sense of refined beauty.

Are running a business and being a mother similar? Which skills from motherhood are useful in business, and vice versa?

Multitasking.

The ability to solve problems here and now.

Jumping between A, B, C, D, and E without losing yourself, your principles, or your energy.

Motherhood and running a business are similar because both require you to dive headfirst, with your entire mind and body, into a whirlwind of responsibilities.

You have to make decisions and think several steps ahead.

Whether it's family, work, or business, everything revolves around relationships with people. It's the art of anticipating, managing, and staying flexible.

In my mind, motherhood and business are practically identical processes.

What's made a particularly strong impression on you recently?

The saying, “Women make up half the world, but give birth to all of it.”

And Everest, of course.

About a year and a half ago, I accidentally came across a Facebook Reel showing dead bodies on the slopes of Everest.

It hit me like a bullet, and I've been fascinated by mountaineering and mountains ever since.

When you get stuck creatively, how do you get unstuck?

I step away.

That's exactly what happened with the UNDRESS coats in our new collection.

I kept designing, working, trying, but I could feel that I didn't believe in what I was doing.

When I get stuck, I ignore whatever I'm stuck on.

I know that once the deadline gets dangerously close and I can no longer afford to ignore it, something will suddenly click and I'll find a way forward.

When you stop ignoring a problem, you start thinking about it. And once you start thinking, you find a solution.

I like to say that there's no such thing as an impossible task. You get things done by doing them. That's all.

What else would you like to learn?

We have a country house, and I want to learn how to make everything there grow and bloom.

I'd love to understand fertilizers, seedlings, annuals and perennials, propagation, and pruning.

I also want to learn the basics of maintaining a property and doing home renovations - things like painting walls beautifully, restoring a bathtub, removing old tiles, and laying new ones.

I think I'd both enjoy it and be good at it.

How do you imagine yourself at eighty-three?

I'd like to be chilling.

I want to be a fun, slightly crazy old lady, a mother and grandmother with a great sense of humor, someone people genuinely enjoy being around.

I'd love to walk barefoot around our country house, wearing worn-in summer dresses, looking good - not necessarily super stylish, but in my own effortless way, without trying too hard or making a big fuss.

I'd like to cook delicious food, create a good atmosphere around me, and bring people together so there's always plenty of laughter and lively conversation.

I want to live lightly, without worrying too much, looking back on how much fun life has been.

In my imagination, I see a cheerful woman who's great to travel with, whose grandchildren can't wait to visit, and whose children call every other day because they miss her.

That matters enormously to me.