Anna, a South African born in 1980 in Pretoria, spent many holidays on her grandparents’ farm in Namibia’s Kalahari. Taught sewing and needlework by her mother and grandmother, she was encouraged to stay busy—so she spent her time drawing or scrutinising the fashion designs in her grandmother’s Burda magazines, with her grandmother being her first style icon.

​Growing up under Apartheid censorship and a strict upbringing, Anna had limited exposure to the outside world. However, her natural curiosity soon earned her the label of a troublemaker. Frustrated with school, she dropped out at 16, completed her studies through correspondence, and later pursued Fine Arts in Pretoria before moving to Cape Town in 2001 to study Art Direction.

She spent seven years working at top Cape Town ad agencies while running a side hustle knitting toys and objects. In 2010, Elle Decoration SA featured her knitted work, leading to a role as décor editor and launching her career as a stylist. By 2012, she was a full-time freelance stylist, costume designer, and set designer, building a formidable international client base. Anna’s bold, deliberate aesthetic—rooted in memories, fantasies, and lifelong influences—shines through in both her commercial and personal projects.

During COVID, clients sought her expertise in remote Art Direction, which naturally led her into directing. Now embracing commercial directing opportunities, she continues to make time for her personal creative pursuits.

Anna still really loves the desert.

• Photographer: John Second