South Texas rancher-turned-high-end fashion designer: "It's the American dream story"
SAN ANTONIO — In the heart of South Texas where ranching runs deep, one San Antonio woman is turning heads in the fashion world with a style as big as her home state.
Her name is Lee Evans Lee—a fifth-generation rancher who's proving you don't have to choose between overalls and power suits.
"I learned how to walk, and then they threw me on a horse," Lee said. "I can still see myself in bloomers, bareback."
Growing up surrounded by Dickies and denim, Lee inherited a love for textiles from her family.
"There was just a pride. If we had a tablecloth, it was made from the finest lace. Or napkins made with hand-pressed linen," she said. "That definitely evolved into a love of fashion."
But fashion wasn't her first career. Lee pursued a stable job in healthcare until the pandemic made her rethink everything.
"I felt like we had gotten to a place in our wardrobe where I had to pick comfort or luxury. There was no in-between, and I wanted to merge the two," she said.
That desire for something different inspired her to create a clothing line designed for both ranch life and high fashion. During late nights in lockdown, she began sketching.
It took her a year to reinvent workwear, combining Texas-inspired style with athleisure materials like spandex and nylon.
"There's a reason why the tag says 'Made in Texas,'" she said.
In 2022, Lee launched Mrs. Momma Bear Workwear, a clothing line that merges practicality with sophistication.
"The family I grew up in is the American Dream story," she said. "It can happen, it can happen."
Her designs are made to be durable enough for ranch work but chic enough for a night out.
"And to have that spirit of that woman behind it all is what you're wearing on a daily basis," she said.
Lee ended 2024 with major milestones, including a debut at New York Fashion Week and a feature in Vogue.
"I stare at this and still can't believe I'm in there," she said, holding the magazine. "I'm just a believer that whatever we're all thinking about late at night, we should really go after," she said.
The brand began being sold globally in Paris this past holiday season.
But despite her rising success, Lee remains grounded. It's the basis of what her clothing line, really is all about.
"It's made with love," she said.
