‘I had this belief I had to look perfect’: Love Island’s Melanie on being a ‘plus-size’ model
'My biggest dream since I was 10 years old was to be a model'
While Melanie Moreno is on Love Island USA season eight, viewers dug up pictures seemingly from her early career as a model. In an interview pre-dating Melanie’s time on Love Island, she discussed how she started off her career in fashion.
So, Melanie Moreno from Love Island has an impressive modelling portfolio. Love Island viewers figured out that she walked the runway of Miami Swim Week 2022 for Pretty Little Thing. Slay. Here’s the YouTube livestream of her looking extremely glamorous on the runaway. Melanie has also done shoots for Ru by Rupal.
melanie from love island in 2022#loveislandusa pic.twitter.com/JZbFvCsp5l
— T (@Tkm6t) June 10, 2026
In a resurfaced interview from 2021, Melanie explained how she got going in this field. Melanie did head off to college after high school. However, she she felt it wasn’t her “number one plan”. She started a clothing brand called More Sport Studio, which aimed to “bring awareness to mental health through fashion”.
Melanie told Voyage LA: “I was then scouted by my now manager Elizabeth. My biggest dream since I was 10 years old was to be a model. I lost myself so badly that I let go of that dream and tried to focus on something that was ‘more practical’. But Elizabeth saw the potential in me that I didn’t see in myself for a while.
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“The main reason I gave up on my dream was because I had this belief that I had to look perfect to even get into the business. I thought I needed a specific look or a specific body type. Little did I know, I was wrong.
“I tried for nine years to get scouted and signed, but I still truly believe I was found at the perfect time. My childhood dream finally became a reality this year when I was officially signed to one of the biggest agencies in New York, Wilhelmina.”
Melanie’s cousin has also spoken about her modelling career. She took to social media to confirm that yes, it is Melanie in those videos from Miami Swim Week. She commented: “Melanie is my little cousin and I can tell you it is her!! And no Ozempic. She worked hard to get her current body!!! She wasn’t insecure when she was plus size, and she’s not insecure now. People are allowed to change, grow, and become healthier without having to justify it. Her confidence didn’t come from her size, it came from knowing her worth.”
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