I'm Puerto Rican! You can never take my rice, pork, and beans away. Plus, I love to cook. I'm one of those people who stay in the kitchen standing while everything is cooking, checking on everything.

Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am. I'm Latina; I've always had that extra little flavor. But when I got to New York, it became about being comfortable with myself in a place where I didn't know many people, and that was the big challenge. Ultimately my personality helped me build relationships with the people I was working with, and I was able to stand out.

People hide behind the word aesthetic. They say, ‘Well, it’s just that designer’s aesthetic.’ But when you see 18 seasons in a row and not one single model outside a certain skin color…? There are people in the industry who are advocates, who support diversity. And there are people who do not. I don’t get it. Beauty is universal. These doors have to open.

I also work out because I have scoliosis. I have to maintain certain strength in my core.

I try not to go to sleep with makeup, because I think it clogs your pores. I always wash my face with something that contains salicylic acid.

I'm Puerto Rican! You can never take my rice, pork, and beans away. Plus, I love to cook. I'm one of those people who stay in the kitchen standing while everything is cooking, checking on everything.

I've always been athletic. Growing up in Puerto Rico, and being in the countryside, I was always running around. I also played volleyball, basketball, and I ran track. I was always very conscious of my body.