Linda Arroz is a speaker, author, and former spokesperson,

plus-size model A plus-size model is an individual size 12 and above who is engaged primarily in Model (person), modeling plus-size clothing. Plus-size clothing worn by plus-size models is typically catering for and marketed to either Big & Tall or Tall or Overw ...

, stylist and magazine editor, originally from

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

. She was one of the first plus-size models to get a contract with a major brand.

Career

Arroz began her career in 1979 in Flint, Michigan, working at Chevrolet’s

V8 Engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...

Plant as an assembly line worker. When she was laid off, she moved to Oklahoma to work at the

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

Oklahoma City Assembly Plant. She then attended the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

. Arroz worked as an image and career consultant until 1989, when she was discovered by two representatives for the

Spiegel catalog Spiegel was an American direct marketing retailer founded in 1865 by Joseph Spiegel. Spiegel published a catalog, like its competitors Sears and Montgomery Ward, which advertised various brands of apparel, accessories, and footwear, as well a ...

, which had just launched a plus-size division. She signed a three-year contract as a spokesmodel for For You from Spiegel, making her one of the first plus-size models to get a contract with a major brand. As a

spokesmodel A promotional model is a model hired to drive consumer demand for a product, service, brand, or concept by directly interacting with potential customers. Most promotional models are conventionally attractive in physical appearance. They serve to m ...

, she began making appearances on television and in public. When her contract ended in 1991, Arroz was hired as the fashion editor for ''

Big Beautiful Woman "Big Beautiful Woman" (commonly abbreviated as BBW) is a euphemism for an overweight woman. Meaning and usage The terms "Big Beautiful Women" and "BBW" were coined by Carole Shaw in 1979, when she launched ''BBW Magazine'', a fashion and li ...

'' magazine, which was one of several mainstream titles owned by

Larry Flynt Larry Claxton Flynt Jr. (; November 1, 1942 – February 10, 2021) was an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications (LFP). LFP mainly produces pornographic magazines, such as ''Hustler'', pornographic videos, and three por ...

's publishing company and was one of the first magazines to focus on plus-size style. In 1993, she was at the helm of two fashion magazines when she became editor-in-chief at ''Maternity Fashion & Beauty'' magazine. In 1995, she appeared on the cover of ''Big Beautiful Woman''. Since then, she has made numerous television appearances and has been a spokesperson for the fashion industry, promoting self-esteem, body confidence, and media technology. She has been quoted as a fashion stylist in such publications as the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', ''

Market Watch This is a list of programs broadcast by CNBC. CNBC is an American basic cable, internet and business news television channel owned by NBCUniversal News Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast. It was originally established ...

'', and Forbes.com has made appearances on ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

'', ''

FashionTelevision ''FashionTelevision'', also known as ''FT'', is a Canadian-produced special interest show focusing on fashion. The show, created by Jay Levine in 1985, was last hosted by Jeanne Beker. Production of the broadcast ended on April 11, 2012. The pr ...

'', ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...

'', and ''

Leeza ''Leeza'' is an NBC and syndicated daytime television talk show. It premiered on June 14, 1993 as ''John & Leeza from Hollywood'', hosted by John Tesh and Leeza Gibbons. Tesh left the show after seven months, and on January 17, 1994, the pro ...

''; and has appeared as a guest on '' Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus''; ''

Good Day L.A. ''Good Day L.A.'' is an American morning television news and entertainment program airing on KTTV (channel 11), a Fox owned-and-operated television station in Los Angeles, California, owned by the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of Fox Corpo ...

'';

Richard Simmons Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons (born July 12, 1948) is an American fitness personality and public figure, known for his eccentric, flamboyant, and energetic personality. He has promoted weight-loss programs, most prominently through his ''Swe ...

' ''DreamMaker'' and '' Caryl & Marilyn: Real Friends''. In 1994, she played herself in a cameo appearance on the soap opera ''

The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...

''. In 2019, Arroz appeared in the feature film '' Before You Know It'', directed by

Hannah Pearl Utt ''Before You Know It'' is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Hannah Pearl Utt. It was co-written by, and stars, Utt and Jen Tullock. Judith Light, Mike Colter, Mandy Patinkin, and Alec Baldwin appear in supporting roles. It was screened in ...

and featuring

Jen Tullock Jen Tullock is an American actress. Early life Tullock was raised in the Louisville, Kentucky, area. She was raised in the evangelical church, where she first performed. She studied acting at Millikin University and graduated with a BFA in Acti ...

Mandy Patinkin Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...

Judith Light Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...

, and

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...

. As marketing director and spokesperson for fashion designer Carole Little, Arroz represented the brand’s plus-size collection on the

Home Shopping Network HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flor ...

and Q2, a former division of

QVC QVC (short for "Quality Value Convenience") is an American free-to-air television network, and flagship shopping channel specializing in televised home shopping, owned by Qurate Retail Group. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Chester, Penn ...

. From 1998 to 2001, she was the editor and a columnist at ''Real Size'', an early adopter in the nascent realm of hybrid publications incorporating community with integrated sales of apparel featured in the editorial. She has also published numerous articles on fashion and fitness for such outlets as ''California Apparel News'' and worked with celebrities as a fashion stylist. In 2012, she co-wrote ''Affordable Couture'' (Vivays Publishing), a how-to guide for collecting and shopping for vintage and couture clothing.

References

External links

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Demo Reel
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Amazon Author Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arroz, Linda 1954 births Living people Female models from Michigan People from Flint, Michigan Plus-size models 21st-century American women