Meet María Luisa Mendiola | Founder & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with María Luisa Mendiola and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi María Luisa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
MIGA Swimwear starts from my experience with a disfigurement I have in my feet. Every time I would go to the beach or the pool, which was often because I grew up in Costa Rica, I would get self-conscious and uncomfortable because people would stare at or ask intrusive questions about my feet. I would cope with my difference by wearing bold and vibrant swimsuits that took attention away from my toes.

It wasn’t until I did my masters in design at Central Saint Martins UK, that I started to play with the idea of creating swimsuits that not only were eye-catching and beautiful, but that also encouraged the wearer to accept and love their body as is.

Since then I have worked with over 400 women, disabled and non-disabled to create swimsuits that make women feel comfortable and confident.

What should our readers know about your business?
I created MIGA Swimwear because I wanted more women to feel comfortable in their bodies. The unique problem we are solving for is ableism. 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? Hence, each one of our suits comes with a bag that tells the story of our design collaborators (women living with disfigurements, disabilities and/or chronic illnesses) as a way for them to feel less stigma about their conditions, but more importantly as a way to raise awareness and empathy toward these communities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in NYC. I would take them on a ferry ride down to Wall Street. I would then take them to a museum, like the Whitney museum, followed by lunch perhaps oysters by the Hudson. I would then pickup some boba tea and take them to Central Park. I would then take them for dinner in Chinatown, Peking Duck House is delicious and then take them to Fat Cat to listen to live music while playing shuffle board.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to our factories in LA, California. This year they have gone above and beyond to help a small brand like ours navigate issues like shortage in personnel and fabric delays. They believe in our brand and we believe in the quality of their work. We are lucky to have found production partners that prioritize their clients, no matter how small, take care of their workers and are always willing to find a solution to any challenge that can arise. Plus they are always looking for ways to become more sustainable.

Website: migaswimwear.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/migaswimwear/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-luisa-mendiola/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marialuisa_miga

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MIGASwimwear/

Image Credits
Vanessa Carvalho, Sophia Schrank