BRANDS TO KNOW: MIGA SWIMWEAR
MIGA Swimwear
Maria Luisa Mendiola is the founder of MIGA Swimwear, a brand inspired by women that have visible differences, disabilities and chronic illnesses, from rare conditions to burn scars. Maria’s mission with MIGA Swimwear is to combat stigma, create sustainable products, and build a community of self-acceptance and body positivity among all women.
SHEER: How did the idea for MIGA Swimwear come about?
MARIA LUISA MENDIOLA: MIGA started from my experience with disfigurement: I have a genetic condition that caused me to have brachymetatarsia, which means that I have shortened 4th toes on both of my feet. A couple of years back, a friend asked me, “what’s wrong with your toes?” I got very uncomfortable and quickly changed the subject. I remember thinking: How is it possible that I am 25 years old and I still react like this when someone asks me about my feet? It dawned on me that this question was always going to come up, no matter how old I got. So I decided to focus my master’s at Central Saint Martins, UK, on figuring out ways to lower stigma in the disfigurement community. To my surprise, I found that fashion design coupled with storytelling could help women feel more comfortable with their bodies.
SHEER: How did you come up with the name "MIGA"?
MLM: The name means “crumb” in spanish, like a bread crumb and I wanted to use the name as a reminder to take the business step by step, as starting a business on your own can be incredibly daunting. An unintended interpretation of the name that I like very much is that “miga” in portuguese is also short for “amiga” or female friend. Growing up when I would go to the beach, I would always look around to see if I could find feet that looked like mine. Now, through MIGA Swimwear, we can find “migas” and feel less isolated and alone in our experience with disfigurement, disabilities and chronic illnesses. Three women living in different parts of the US found each other because of our Colette swimsuit; the swimsuit is inspired by Colette who was diagnosed with Sacrococcygeal Teratoma, a rare birth defect occurring one in every 40,000 births.
SHEER: When designing your pieces, what are the top elements you prioritize?
MLM: My design ethos focuses on three pillars: cause, sustainability and disruption. Every time I design something I ask myself: does the product support and cater to under-represented and under-served groups? Does the product’s design conserve or regenerate natural resources and can it withstand the passing of time? Does the product disrupt outdated processes or old ways of thinking? If the answer is yes to all three questions, I can proceed and all of these elements coexist in our brand.
SHEER: What styles on your site are you most excited about at the moment and why?
MLM: I am excited about all of our suits, I don’t play favorites with my children :). All jokes aside, I am very proud of our Lydia swimsuit because it was made with the input of multiple women living with stoma bags. The Lydia bottom has a belt that can be moved around, depending on where you have your stoma bag (they sit in different places depending on whether you have an ileostomy or a colostomy). I am also very excited about our new separates, the Marije top and Marije bottom. It is the first time we do beach cover-ups and this take on a 70’s hippie look is the definition of comfortable. Imagine taking your wet bathing suit off and changing into this?
Marije Top, $110 & Marije Bottoms, $125
Lydia Cutout Long Sleeve Top, $125. In 2014, Lydia was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. In 2016, she underwent surgery to remove her large intestine and got an ileostomy. Currently, in the US 450,000 people have a stoma. Buy the Lydia swimsuit set and receive a canvas bag detailing her story with your order.
SHEER: What are the biggest challenges you face as a business owner challenging norms in the fashion industry and catering to a demographic that is often overlooked? How do you encourage women to overcome such challenges as they arise?
MLM: The biggest challenge we face is getting people to care. So many people think that because they don’t have disfigurement, disability or chronic illness, they don’t have to seek understanding or have empathy for these communities. They are wrong. One out of four of today's 20-year-olds will become disabled before age 67. Why wait to become a disability ally when you can start today?
I think it is the responsibility of every human being to understand the different experiences different people have, be it race, gender, sexual preference, ability, socio-economic standing, especially when you can learn so much about yourself, through others. As an advocate of this space, it is not my responsibility to persuade those who have no inclination to change their opinion or belief, it is my responsibility to help others understand when and if, they want to learn. My hope is that they do.
“Every time I design something I ask myself: does the product support and cater to under-represented and under-served groups? Does the product’s design conserve or regenerate natural resources and can it withstand the passing of time? Does the product disrupt outdated processes or old ways of thinking? If the answer is yes to all three questions, I can proceed and all of these elements coexist in our brand.”
SHEER: We love the "Stories of Resilience" blog on your site. What inspired you to start this series and how has it evolved over time?
MLM: The Stories of Resilience blog started from the need to create a platform where people from the disfigurement, disability and chronic illnesses community could share their story, as a therapeutic experience and as a way to raise awareness about their unique experience. Every week we publish a personal account of women and men living confidently with their diagnosis and op-ed pieces about the challenges that this community faces and its intersection with identity and body image. The blog started as a way for us to create a community, but now has become much more than that. Most of our blog contributors go on to become key parts to our design process and beyond MIGA Swimwear, we work as a resource center. Some of our blog contributors and design muses have gone to become big advocates of the disfigurement community, like @love_disfigure.
SHEER: How do you believe the fashion industry can work towards being more inclusive in catering to women with disabilities and chronic illnesses?
MLM: When you create a fashion brand inspired by and with the direct input of the disfigurement, disabilities and chronic illnesses communities, you are sending a clear message that these groups deserve to enjoy the beach or the pool. They deserve to feel comfortable, confident and sexy.
It is important to note that our brand is not only for these communities; they are designed to be worn by all in order to create a shared sense of identity. I believe non-disfigured and able-bodied people can reframe how they look at their own bodies and ultimately, learn how to accept and love themselves through the lessons of the disfigurement, disability and chronic illness community. That is why our swimsuits come with a bag that has the printed stories of our collaborators. Not only does it empower our collaborators to share their story, which has been proven to lower stigma, but it encourages non-disfigured and able-bodied people to love and accept their own bodies no matter what.
“ The biggest challenge we face is getting people to care. So many people think that because they don’t have disfigurement, disability or chronic illness, they don’t have to seek understanding or have empathy for these communities. They are wrong. One out of four of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before age 67. Why wait to become a disability ally when you can start today?”
SHEER: What words of advice do you have for women who struggle to find confidence through their disabilities?
MLM: No two days are the same. Body esteem, how a person feels about their physical appearance, is fluid. Keeping this in mind can help us be more self-aware with our inner monologue and help us mitigate the impact of poor self-talk on how we define ourselves and thus, our self-worth. Creating a succinct and empowering narrative to explain to others your condition is your best resource. By taking ownership of your narrative, you decide if and how much you want to disclose. Not everyone deserves your vulnerability, but with the right audience, sharing your narrative has been proven to lower the stigma you feel towards your own difference.
SHEER: What do you envision for the future of MIGA Swimwear as it continues to grow?
MLM: In the future, I see MIGA Swimwear moving to other categories such as women’s ready-to-wear and men’s swimwear. I also see the company having its own charitable arm that focuses on creating curriculums for school’s on how to teach empathy towards the disfigurement, chronic illness and disabilities communities, workshops for how to cope with a change in appearance or with discrimination at work. I am truly inspired by the work of Changing Faces UK, a charitable organization that advocates for the disfigurement community, and would love to replicate their work in the U.S. so we can offer more psychosocial adaptations to these communities.