Community Spotlight: Michaela
Today we’re so excited to turn our spotlight toward someone who has been shaping this work long before many of us found our way into it: our Head of Community, Michaela. 🫶
Michaela has spent over a decade working in the size-inclusive fashion space, helping to push conversations forward, challenge outdated norms, and create spaces where people in bigger bodies can feel seen in a real, meaningful way. Long before Viva Voce, her work was already impacting how this industry shows up, and how people experience themselves within it.
For many of us (myself included), Michaela was someone we followed, learned from, and felt inspired by long before we ever worked alongside her.
In this spotlight, we wanted to create space for her to reflect on that journey: what she’s seen, what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what continues to drive her in this work today.
Hi Michaela! You’ve been working in the size-inclusive fashion space for over a decade now. When you look back, what first drew you into this work, and what made you stay?
My work stems from my own experience as a size 0 teenager and later woman, to gaining a lot of weight, only to figure out that people’s bodies do not end at a size XL. It was so hard for me to find beautiful clothing, or let’s say even any clothing, I immediately knew I had to change it and the whole fashion industry.
I always had a deep admiration for fashion and design, so it was a natural path for me. What made me stay is seeing progress, but also the downfall of size inclusivity. This work will never be done, and we need more people to do this work from their hearts.
What’s something about the fashion industry that has meaningfully shifted since you started… and what’s something that hasn’t changed nearly enough?
It’s honestly always a back and forth conversation. A lot of brands did shift into inclusivity when it was trendy and now have circled back, as if this unfortunate so-called “trend” never existed. I want to point out that bodies are not trends and we should never treat them as such.
What was really positive for me was to see how many professionals are actually interested in making a change. We are our own community, regardless of body or background.
When you were dreaming of and shaping the Viva Voce community, what were some non-negotiables for you? What did you want people to feel when they entered this space?
I always wanted our Viva Voce community to feel safe and welcoming. We’ve had so many beautiful situations already, both in real life and online. From members on our runway in NYC, to seeing so many beautiful people with big hearts and so much fun at our castings, to people reaching out to us and just being excited for what we’re building.
I deeply love meaningful conversations and deep connection, and we’re truly building those within our community. I always wanted them to feel like hanging out with their best friends, which feels natural and effortless. A place that always makes you feel supported and loved. I truly hope people feel this warmth with us.
There are people in this community (myself included) who found you and were inspired by your work long before joining Viva Voce. What does it feel like to now be building alongside people who once looked up to you?
Alone reading your beautiful question, Brianna, makes me feel very emotional. I feel so grateful to be working with people like you. AND YOU :)
All I ever wanted was to make people feel confident and beautiful and give them the feeling of belonging, and seeing how you all are thriving makes me feel so proud.
You know, if you can truly build a space together and everyone is so aligned like we are, it’s bliss. It makes not only my life easier but also brings such a big portion of fun into my life. I hope we can inspire so many people out there to come to us, enjoy the beautiful moments together, and have a good friend on their side if things are tough.
What does it mean to you to build something that doesn’t just include people, but actually centers them?
In my work, I always center people. I find it not really authentic to just include people here and there. We are building a true movement, a real community, a space for us and by us.
I love to hear people’s ideas and needs. We need to hear from the community what they are longing for in terms of engagement, events, collections, and more. We can only build together, never alongside. Community is only real if we’re all involved in it.
What’s a truth about fatphobia or size-inclusion that people still aren’t ready to hear?
These issues, like fatphobia and lack of size inclusion, are very deeply anchored in our society. It will be something we can never fully get rid of, unfortunately.
But what we can do is strengthen our community, our values, and the way we see and respond to the world. We can do a lot together and very little alone, so we have to meet, show up, and support each other. We have to be the safe space and we have to do more for our own community.
You’ve always had such a strong sense of personal style and creativity. How does that part of you show up in your work, even behind the scenes?
Thank you so much for pointing out my creativity, Brianna, I feel truly grateful.
Everything I do has intention and is curated. Even an email I write or an effortless outfit I am styling is created by a very sharp eye. I believe in caring about details, I bring beauty into this world for all and everyone, but also for myself.
I can’t live in a world where things don’t have meaning, so I try to be careful and curate constantly. It’s also a mindfulness exercise on a daily basis. I try to live as mindfully as I can, which is actually very on brand for us.
There’s a difference between building an audience and building a community. How do you define that difference, and why does it matter?
I personally don’t believe in building an audience. What is the purpose of that? Especially in 2026, I don’t see this as something genuine and authentic anymore.
I don’t want to be an “audience” myself, but I love being in a community with like-minded people. To share ideas, support each other, help, and listen to one another. A community is truly giving and taking; it’s mutual. While I find an audience is a mere marketing term, our community is clearly not that.
What kind of future are you hoping we’re building toward in this space?
One of my biggest wishes when I started working in the size-inclusive space over ten years ago was actually to create a future where the generations coming after us never have to experience what we had to go through ourselves.
All the body dysmorphia, the heavy dieting without any supervision, and the constant attacks by our society, by the media, and even in closer circles. A lot of us had to go through hell and back because we had barely any role models or support. We didn’t even have clothing to begin with to feel beautiful.
So what I want for the future is that we are all the best role models for the next generations, so they can grow up in an environment that is supportive, loving, and educational. Your body is your body, and you are perfect in each version of it.
If the next chapter of size-inclusive fashion was written with intention, what would it look like to you?
Honestly, it would be clothing for all. Fun for all. Love for all. Opportunities for all.
Let’s not leave people out. Let’s make them feel heard and seen. I want everyone to find what they want to wear, or at least get an idea of what that could look like with us or any other brand out there.
How do you think media and fashion storytelling shape the way people see themselves in their bodies?
The media is so heavily involved. When I was a teenager, I wasn’t even larger yet, but I still thought something was severely wrong with me and my body as it began to change.
I only saw the stars of the 90s and 00s in the media, and I can clearly remember how they looked. I had the feeling I was a monster in my own body. I felt like I was in the wrong and the media was right, because I never really saw myself represented. So I believed I must be in the wrong body.
I was so messed up in my head that I didn’t eat in public or didn’t wear bikinis, because I believed I was too big. Today I look back and can clearly say the media messed severely with how I see myself. Back then social media didn’t even exist. I can only imagine how my life would have turned out if I was born a decade later.
How do you hope the work happening in this space actually impacts people in their everyday lives?
I hope we become a space where people truly feel like they can show up and tell us how they feel, the good and the bad.
A space where we celebrate each other and where people feel less lonely, truly feeling connected. I want people to walk out of our pop-up events feeling so confident and beautiful that they go after the job they were dreaming of, finally go on vacation, finally get the boyfriend they wanted, or finally truly feel whole.
I absolutely hope people will find love in our place. I love nothing more than a wedding invite.
If you had a megaphone and the whole world was listening, what message would you share?
We can’t build this without YOU.
We need your support in keeping this place alive. We need to hear from you on our social media, we need to see you at our events, and we love feedback. Don’t be shy, we genuinely love to connect.
I am sure we will have some surprises lined up, so it’s always worth checking out what we’re currently doing.
Sending you all so much LOVE,
Michaela