When Jessica Torres went to school for journalism, she had a dream in mind. "I wanted to be the fat Latina Carrie Bradshaw," she told POPSUGAR. Feeling unseen, unheard, and untalked to by mainstream fashion media, she decided to create her own platform and let her passion for fashion run free.
"I went into a lot of rooms that had thin white bodies creating content for thin white bodies, and I no longer wanted in," she said. "I decided it would be best to create a space for people like me." She started her own Instagram @thisisjessicatorres, Youtube video channel and podcast @fatgirlsclubpodcast, determined to make an impact and be the representation she needed to see when she was younger. "I received messages from people of different sizes and ages saying how game-changing it was for them to see a fat unapologetic Latina from the Bronx infiltrate an industry that was white, thin, and rich," she said. "As long as there is a fat little girl feeling like an outsider, I will be doing this."
We can't get enough of her retro-inspired, colorful, fun looks and her tongue-in-cheek captions. Keep scrolling to get to know everything about this unadulterated influencer, from the telenovela villains she found style inspiration in to her favorite brands, and how long it really takes her to get out of the house looking this fabulous.
--Originally published on July 28, 2021