We were lucky to catch up with Via Moscato recently and have shared our conversation below.

Via, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I grew up in the fashion industry as a model at a young age. Over the years, I watched and learned how skin deep the industry is and how the industry standards are really damaging to body images. Year after year, beautiful people of average sizes were told they were “plus size” and picked apart for their flaws.

I figured if this industry was running the standards on body image and that image was mostly negative- there needed to be a change. Someone needed to shine a positive light on individual bodies and their positivity.

I decided to make a clothing line that is adjustable and functional- conforming to your body rather than you conforming to a set size.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My mother taught me how to sew at a young age and I began mostly with Halloween costumes and the detailed creations we conjured.

Years later, being inspired by the superficial nature of the fashion industry I decided to take on a personal role and advocate for those who may be backhandedly harmed by the industry standards.

I now create custom tailored outfits for artists and stage wear, costumes for theater, runway looks, photoshoots, and celebrities, as well as my adjustable looks to fit all sizes. I have several lines of lingerie, evening wear, and gowns. All of which are ready to wear and fit a multitude of body shapes and sizes.

I have successfully placed the Denver fashion scene on the map by planting my designs in prestigious events such as Paris Fashion week and Milan Fashion week. My goal is to create Denver into a fashion hub like LA and New York. I do this by creating similar events in Denver involving fashion. For instance, Friday December 13th I am hosting a “Twisted Christmas” themed fashion show to raise money for our local non profit partner. We expect this show to draw a lot of attention as our theme is Mental Health Awareness and each designer is assigned an issue they relate to including Anxiety, Suicide prevention, identity issues, body Shaming, and more. This is just another chance for us to make some noise for the unrepresented communities on the runway and place Drnver in the epicenter of the change.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In this industry, a growth mindset is a must. Whether you’re expanding your portfolio or traveling to a new photo shoot location your comfort zone should be ever expanding. Of course I tell my models this regularly to remind them to chase their dreams. With that, I have to lead by example and I did so when I applied for Paris Fashion week. I knew that I was not ready for it as a designer. I had my own doubts and insecurities to work through. However, I managed to push through my intrusive thoughts and I received 2 publications for my clothes. One publication was in Elle magazine and the other in Harper’s Bazaar. A huge accomplishment that I’m so proud of. This industry is truly dog eat dog and they will come for your throat if you’re not prepared. Working with models who are not within industry standards allows for a lot of negative comments in the scene. It’s difficult to stay positive when my handicapped model is being harassed right before the runway for being different. However, we stand as a beacon of hope for those that have been told they don’t belong in the spotlight.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

A few months before I left for my first international fashion show I was not in a positive head space. I was struggling with my mental health regarding my son’s father. He was my abuser and the one that I survived my domestic violence through. He had refused my custody time for 3 months in a row and ignored our court ordered parenting time. I missed Christmas with my son that year and was 2 months from leaving for Paris Fashion Week. I had to strain myself both physically and mentally to pivot back and forth from court for custody battles and preparing for my biggest business trip of my career at the time. I really struggled to keep myself afloat emotionally, but I worked through the madness and allowed myself the space to create art through my misery and those were the 8 designs that I took with me for Paris Fashion Week. A symbol of my accomplishment to myself and a reminder of how strong I am,

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/viamoscato
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/ViaMoscatodesigns
• Linkedin: ViaMoscato

Image Credits

Production company photography;
Luigi Galvao