Gail Chovan is an apparel designer, artist and educator living in Austin, Texas. She received her Masters degree in French Literature at the Université de Paris III and at New York University. Upon switching her studies to clothing construction, Gail attended ESMOD & Duperré and launched her first apparel collection in 1988. For 21 years, she owned and operated the iconic boutique “Blackmail” on South Congress Avenue and garnered numerous awards for visual display and clothing design.

In 2014, Gail decided to eschew the constraints and implications of season-specific designs in favor of pieces she approaches as unique and artful constructions. They maintain their permanence, relevance, and inimitable style throughout the years. These garments are now featured as parts of installations that Chovan presents both nationally and abroad in Europe. In France, she has taught Fashion History & Design at the Sorbonne, Paris College of Art and now serves as the Director of the UT TXA Paris Study Abroad. During the academic year, Gail is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Textiles & Apparel Design at the University of Texas at Austin. She currently lives with her family in Texas and maintains a home in the Oise region of France.