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Model Marilyn Melo to star in SKIMS’ new swim campaign

After spending years building a successful modeling career in the US, Marilyn Melo has returned to her native Dominican Republic to star in a major swimwear campaign for entrepreneur and reality star Kim Kardashian’s buzzy shapewear company, SKIMS. Featuring a sun-kissed Melo posing with Kardashian on the island nation’s pristine beaches adorned in SKIMS’ first-ever swim line, Melo’s latest campaign has been making waves across social media and represents a triumphant achievement for the Instagram-beloved model as she takes her talents back to the land of her roots.

While reaching major success throughout her modeling career, Melo’s road to the top of the industry was no easy feat; standing at 5’4” and with an enviably curvy figure standing in stark contrast to the waifish figures traditionally associated with professional modeling, Melo had to prove her skills in front of the camera lens before reaching her present-day popularity. However, with her eye-catching looks and camera-ready features, Melo quickly began breaking through industry barriers through the early stages of her modeling career. In that same vein, SKIMS represent a particularly germane partnership for Melo, as the shapewear for all sizes concept embraces and caters to the unique body types and statues of women across the world – an approach likewise embraced by Kardashian herself, further seen as Kardashian and Melo’s social media-famous physiques naturally complement each other throughout the shots of their headline-grabbing new campaign.

For Melo, this campaign is more than just a chance to show off her amazing bikini body; it's also an opportunity to inspire other women who may be struggling with their own self-identity, as well as shed a much-needed spotlight onto the Dominican Republic. Originally hailing from the Caribbean nation, Melo has begun giving back to her community through the charity organisation she runs with her family, the Melo Rodriguez Foundation. The foundation helps to improve the lives of underprivileged children and families living in poverty-stricken areas, and offers scholarships, volunteer outreach, and mentorship programs to support those living in the Dominican Republic and helping provide them with the tools and resources necessary to build a better life.

“We believe in spreading joy and happiness all around the world,” said the Melo Rodriguez Foundation. “We trust that if all of us join hands and move towards the common goal of goodness, there is nothing we cannot achieve. The best thing about spreading happiness is that the more you spread it, the more it becomes.”

Melo’s story is one of courage and determination; despite facing many challenges along the way, she has never given up on her dreams nor forgotten her roots. Thanks to her hard work that’s brought all eyes onto the Dominican Republic through her philanthropic pursuits and high-profile modeling campaigns with brands like SKIMS, Marilyn Melo has once again broken past boundaries and transcended beyond just being a model, transforming into a respected advocate for betterment of her homeland alongside the growth of her illustrious fashion career.