Alumni Spotlight: Maria Luisa Mendiola (C’12), Founder and CEO of MIGA Swimwear

Interview by Genesis Ramirez (B’25)

Meet Maria Luisa Mendiola (C’12), Founder and CEO of MIGA Swimwear. Read more about the inspiration behind Maria Luisa’s swimwear line, and her work to empower women of all body types. 

Was there any specific aspect of your time at Georgetown that influenced you to pursue entrepreneurship?

There were two things. The first was the entrepreneurship class that I took in the business school with Professor Will Finnerty. He had us make a laminated note card where we wrote the goals we had for ourselves for when we turned thirty. At the top of that list, I put owning my own business. I like to say that I come from a long line of entrepreneurs: my great grandma, my grandfather, my dad. To be able to be the owner of your time and resources is incredibly empowering. I always kind of knew that it was in me. 

Also, I took on leadership roles in extracurricular activities. I was an orientation advisor and then a captain for New Student Orientation. I absolutely loved that experience. I got to meet students from different groups at Georgetown that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I also choreographed, two years in a row, dances for Reventón Latino. A little different, but still honing my leadership skills.

What inspired you to create MIGA Swimwear?

MIGA comes from my personal experience with a genetic condition that is incredibly rare, asphyxiating thoracic syndrome; it affects about 1 in every 100,000 babies in the U.S. Growing up in Costa Rica, I always felt very stigmatized when I would wear a bathing suit because of a disfigurement I have in my feet that is due to this genetic condition. The way that I would deal with all of the emotions that followed was by wearing bold swimwear that would detract attention from my feet. So, when I pursued my Masters at Central Saint Martins, I really started thinking, “I am not the first one who feels uncomfortable in swimwear and showing off my body. How can I take this, flip it on its head, and celebrate it?” I wanted to create a brand for people who have disfigurements like me, or chronic illnesses or disabilities, so they could feel seen, empowered, sexy, and confident in swimwear. 

Each swimsuit comes with a bag that shares the story of one of our design collaborators as a way to empower wearers to own their body and feel comfortable. The way that I have always envisioned the brand is “walking with the wearer” and being a part of their journey in feeling more and more confident with their body as is.

Can you speak to the importance of inclusivity in the fashion industry, and why you are choosing to prioritize it?

I started the brand in 2017, when there were a lot of conversations about “bikini bodies” and how people with certain bodies that ascribe to the beauty standard should be wearing certain kinds of bathing suits. I have always thought that is ridiculous, and I sought to change that. 

I didn’t see people that looked like me on TV or in magazines. I thought, there are so many other beautiful body types, but we only see this one type of body that reflects the beauty standard. I think what is happening today with weight loss medication trends is sad because it is almost undoing a lot of the work that we had done to really include as many different body types as we could. It’s just a mission that we will have to continue to work on: giving different body types the opportunity to be in magazines and on TV. That is so empowering. 

I think sometimes when people think about disabilities, they only think, for example, about individuals that use wheelchairs. However, disabilities can look incredibly different in so many ways. We always strive to include as many different types of bodies as we can – not only in our design process, but also in the models that we use.

What does a day in your life look like?

That has changed a lot since becoming a mom. I like to work out, so I like to start my morning with a Pilates class. I then have breakfast with my son and husband. Right now, I am working on the planning for our next collection. What that looks like is I will open up my mood board and start going through different fabric samples from our sourcer. I tend to be more creative in the morning so this is kind of like my creative block. I also do fulfillment. I still fulfill a lot of our orders out of our warehouse. 

Then, I focus on marketing. We sell through Target and Macy’s, so a lot of the work we do for marketing is figuring out our budget, sending out samples, and working to get reviews so we can create a more robust profile with these retail partners. Then, I’ll go to the park with my son, and come home to have dinner. After he goes to sleep, I’ll go through my emails and see if anything came through.

What is the hardest part of your job? 

Trying to figure out what the best sales distribution system is. We are trying to become an omnichannel. We used to be direct-to-consumer, which ended up being extremely expensive. So, we have pivoted to sell through Target and Macy’s. The hardest part of the job is trying to figure out what other sales channels we should be approaching and working with. I like building up relationships, but seeking them is hard. It is a really competitive market, especially after COVID. The swimwear market is oversaturated. I need to make sure that we are contacting people who really could be good partners for us. 

What is the most fulfilling part of your job?

Hands down, getting to meet the people that wear our bathing suits, whether it be in person or through social media. Having them say something along the lines of, “I feel seen. I am so glad you created this. I feel sexy and comfortable.” That is exactly why I am here.  

Is there anything you wish more people knew about your industry?

In terms of the retail industry, I think it is important for people thinking about going into it to know that starting a business in retail is really expensive. Getting the capital to produce and hold inventory is hard. It is a tough industry to be in. Also, it is difficult to be sustainable when you are basically turning raw materials into swimwear that you expect to sell. Understanding the costs involved at the get-go is super important. 

How does Georgetown continue to support you as an alum?

We have had support from Georgetown since the beginning of my business. In 2018, we did a Kickstarter, and at least 30% of our backers were Georgetown alumni. Also, I contacted a friend of mine from Georgetown who I hadn’t reached out to in a while. I saw on LinkedIn that he was connected to a woman who is a buyer for another swimwear company. Turns out, it was his cousin. I asked him to connect us to get information on how that consumer brand was doing it, as they are a much larger brand. It was great to be able to leverage those connections. It is so encouraging to say that Georgetown is the gift that keeps on giving. I graduated ten years ago, but Georgetown is still such an important part of my life. I also married another Georgetown alum!

Finally, what is one piece of advice you would give to any Georgetown student who might be interested in entrepreneurship?

Be very sure of your why – why you want to be an entrepreneur. When I went to Georgetown, there weren’t that many people who became entrepreneurs. I am so glad that the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance exists now. 

There will be very hard days, and if your why isn’t strong enough, it’ll be very tricky. For example, during COVID, we were finally in stock, but sales were very hard. There will be challenges along the way, and for me, the one thing that has been really helpful has been this need to create consciousness and destigmatize the experience of having a disability. 1 in 4 twenty year olds today will be diagnosed with a disability by the time they are sixty. Essentially, we could join the disability community at any point, or someone we know. 

To me, we all benefit when society is more accessible. Something as easy as when building a building, to have someone with a disability come in and tell you if the ramp or door is actually accessible. I apply that to my day to day. I truly believe that when we design with everyone in mind, everyone benefits. I see it in my business. For example, I added an extra strap on a design for those with limited mobility, but then someone with a port benefited from the strap as well. My mission has always been to raise awareness about the disability experience so that people can have a better understanding of what having a disability is like. Truly, everyone benefits when that happens. Being really clear on your why will really help you pivot when necessary, and think about how to move forward when you have challenges. Having a strong why means that you never forget why you are doing it. 

Closing Notes

You can find MIGA Swimwear’s women’s collection and the new children's collection (big announcement!) at migaswimwear.com. The children’s collection includes baby and child, and matching with mom! Also, definitely follow us on Instagram @migaswimwear.