During the pandemic, Val (she/her), how a fashion influencer, realized that her social media feeds were making her feel terrible about herself. So, she deleted almost everyone she followed, began following influencers who looked like her, which started her fat liberation journey. Since then, Val has become known for showcasing slow and ethical fashion at the intersections of disability, chronic illness, neurodivergence, and fatness. And she created #styledseated, which invites clothing retailers to include photographs of their clothing in the seated position.

Val studied music in college but somehow ended up working in the world of corporate banking. She became a mobility aid user in 2016 after a life saving surgery injured her spinal column. Val is autistic, though she was only diagnosed in her late 20’s. She has myalgic encephalomyelitis, which is a chronic illness that causes energy processing deficits at the mitochondrial level. As a result, she deals with a lot of chronic pain throughout her body. Val is a fan of slow and ethically made fashion. She took up sewing during the early days of the pandemic, which reinforced the necessity of slow-made garments and gave her a huge appreciation for garment workers and garment designers. Val lives in the National Capitol Region in Canada with her two dogs, her brother Aaron, and his chihuahua puppy.

Please connect with Val through Instagram.

This episode’s poem is called “Famous” by Naomi Shihab Nye.

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