Meet: Michele Fornera
- Written byGiada Maestra
- Published date 21 May 2026
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We spoke with London College of Fashion (LCF) alumna Michele Fornera about her podcast UN/INVITED. With her project she celebrates people on their creative journeys and demonstrates that careers don't have to be linear for you to achieve your goals.
Hi Michele, please tell us more about yourself.
I’m the founder and host of UN/INVITED, an independent cultural podcast grounded in the belief that no creative journey follows a single path. Shaped by fashion, media and contemporary culture, my work explores the wider landscape of pop culture through conversation and storytelling.
I’ve previously worked in communications and client relations at luxury fashion retailers including Mytheresa and MatchesFashion. I’ve modelled for Stefano Pilati and JORDANLUCA, and appeared in 10 Magazine, Sleek Magazine and Document Journal.
You graduated in Fashion Media from London College of Fashion (LCF) in 2020. What did you do after graduating?
After graduating from LCF in 2020 I moved to Munich, Germany, where I joined Mytheresa as an intern in their public relations team. I later moved back to London and started working at MatchesFashion.
Have you always been interested in fashion media?
Yes, always. Fashion magazines and moving images have fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been deeply interested in storytelling, especially how it continues to evolve through new forms of media and cultural shifts.
Why did you choose the course? Did you have a project in mind before your studies?
I chose Fashion Media at LCF because it was one of the very few courses offering something so niche. What I loved was the breadth of it, from fashion journalism to fashion promotion and moving images; there were so many different units that allowed me to explore and try things I’d never done before. I always knew I wanted to create something of my own, and while I was studying I launched a small zine called The UN/INVITED, which would later turn into a podcast.
Can you tell us more about your career so far?
My career has been quite unpredictable and definitely not linear. I've had experience working in fashion magazines before moving to the other side of the industry, joining luxury fashion platforms. Looking back, every step has shaped the way I think about fashion, storytelling, and the creative world, even when the path wasn't obvious at the time.
Can you tell us more about the UN/INVITED podcast?
The UN/INVITED actually began as my Final Major Project at LCF. Sadly, I wasn't able to complete it the way I’d envisioned, due to the restrictions during the pandemic (I graduated in 2020). But in many ways, it never left me. The podcast is probably the project I’m most proud of so far, and the one where everything has finally come together, incorporating all the skills I developed both during my studies and throughout all the different jobs I’ve held. It feels like the project I was always building towards.
What’s the idea behind it, and what did you want to achieve?
The idea was born from a real experience. A few years ago, during Milan Fashion Week, I crashed a party and ended up meeting the fashion designer Stefano Pilati. I told him how much I admired his work and his commitment to creating change within the fashion industry, and then a year later, he asked me to walk the runway in Florence. It felt like a Cinderella story. Crashing that party changed everything.
But it also made me think. We admire people for their success, for their careers, for what they have built, but we rarely know the full story of how they got there. How they got their foot in the door. And it is different for everyone. For some, it might be as simple as sending an email. For others, it is a setback, a mistake, or an unexpected encounter like mine.
My main goal with the podcast is to celebrate every journey within the creative industry. We live in an era where comparison comes from all directions, and it can be relentless. We forget that every path is unique, and that timelines are personal; there is no single way in, and no single schedule for success. The UN/INVITED is a reminder of that.
How do you get in touch with the artists or people you represent?
Mostly through the network I’ve built over the years — living in London, going through life, attending events, and crashing parties. But also through the good old-fashioned way of sliding into someone's DMs or sending an email and hoping for the best.
What's next for you/the podcast?
There are still so many journeys I want to share, so my immediate focus is continuing to grow the podcast and build a stronger, wider audience. Beyond that, I’d love to host larger live events. The very first episode of The UN/INVITED was actually recorded in front of a live audience at The Roses of Elagabalus, which was a really special experience and something I’m keen to build on further.
Long term, I’d love to evolve The UN/INVITED into a fully multimedia platform, as well as publish a book.
