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Ady del Valle. Instagram
Ady del Valle. Instagram

The Latin top model who conquered the fashion world with a size XXXXL

Puerto Rican and queer, Ady del Valle has broken stereotypes and is an example of how beauty canons are changing thanks to Latino activism in the United States.

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The story of the Latin top model Arcadio del Valle can teach us how to spray all the aesthetic canons. It's the story of a young queer who felt he had something to express, but didn't get the formula right. Del Valle, who is also a social worker, lived in a two-room apartment in Boston with his grandmother, who took care of him and his sister when their parents decided to separate. 

When Ady went shopping for clothes, he never found them in his size, and if he did find them, he couldn't understand why he had to get them much more expensive, as if he were obliged to pay a tax on his body. His hobbies were watching all kinds of fashion publications, and interviews with celebrities: but none of these models were like him. You have to bear in mind that Arcadio del Valle wears clothes of the largest possible size, an XXXXL.

Lately, supermodels have appeared who have broken stereotypes about sizes. For instance, supermodel Tess Holliday, with a larger body than usual, or male professionals like Zach Miko or Kelvin Davis, who have contributed to destigmatizing body diversity. However, the case of Arcadio del Valle is unique for many other reasons: firstly, because of his strong artistic personality, informal and full of glamour, daring and changing aesthetics; secondly, because supermodels of such a large size have never appeared before. His case reveals that something is really changing in the sector for people who previously could not identify with fashion, because of gender, ethnicity or diversity.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I’m moving on and putting on my FREE, be free. • • @shutter_vision_

A post shared by Ady Del Valle (@_adydelvalle) on

Social networks as teraphy 

Everything began to change in 2015, when he started posting pictures of himself on social networks. For Arcadio del Valle, the networks were a real therapy, since he accompanied the photos of his body with messages of acceptance and vindication of plurality. He soon started to become a symbol for people who use large sizes, so much so that his Instagram account now has 13,000 followers who follow and acclaim him.

In 2016, more important things began to happen to him. The Volare brand invited him to participate in New York Fashion Week, and from there his modeling career took off like a rocket. At the same time, he made another brave decision: walking on a beach in Massachusetts, he posed shirtless for a photograph among some rocks. Something that would have been unthinkable for him a few months ago.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Latinx Creative! • • I wanted to create this project, one of many to come, to highlight some of my Latinx peers/friends in the industry specifically in the plus industry. A Few months it dawned on me that the Latinx body isn’t really acknowledged as much as we should for the work, and impact we are making in the industry and plus community. • • We shot this project 3 months ago, it was meant to be posted through a media outlet that approved and agreed to do an article on it and everyone involved. Been stressful and a lot of back and forth. We decided as a collective to release it finally because they are too amazing and good not too. • • We keep seeing the same people being celebrated and highlighted when there’s so many doing as much and more to make a difference and be of impact for good. We don’t have a platform that really celebrates us as Latinx and acknowledges us. • • So I went and collaborated with some of my amazing friends during this last NYFW and put together this amazing photoshoot with a handful of us as a introduction for Latinx in the industry to Celebrate and highlight us all. This platform is for us and I wants to celebrate my people from all over using my platform and through my projects. • • I hope you all enjoy these upcoming images and even if your not Latinx you can still pull inspiration for yourself in other aspects. I work hard to make things happen not only for me but to help elevate others in my community. • • Follow @thelatinx_creative for more images and for future projects and features. • •  @photo_karizza

A post shared by Ady Del Valle (@_adydelvalle) on

From then on, he dared to show himself more and more shirtless and even in his underwear, receiving the acceptance and admiration of thousands of users.

Today, Arcadio "Ady" del Valle is a sought-after model who has pushed back all the traditional boundaries of the fashion world. At the same time, he has become an important activist collaborating in the EveryMAN and #WeAreBigAndTall campaigns. It seems that nothing will be able to stop him from now on.

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