For years, that’s all model Ashley Graham ever heard. Then she changed the conversation for herself… and us
Ashley Graham only has one request when I meet her at a rooftop bar in midtown Manhattan: don’t ask her what she thinks of the term ‘plus size’. Why? She thinks it’s outdated and unhelpful. She points out that in the modelling industry, it can refer to anyone size 12 and up – so that’s pretty much everyone. But you can’t ignore the fact that the model, who teeters between a size 18 and 20, owes her fame – at least in part – to the controversial term.
Last year, fashion blogs heralded her as the ‘first plus-size model’ to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. And in the past year, she’s designed collections for plus-size brands SwimsuitsForAll and Addition Elle. And her recent outing as Joe Jonas’s love interest in DNCE’s Toothbrush music video was a coup for full-figured women eager to see themselves in a role beyond, say, Faceless Twerker Number Four.
So, she may not like to be introduced as ‘plus-size model Ashley Graham’ – she’s a model, full stop – but the term doesn’t offend her either.
“Just because I’m not calling myself plus size doesn’t mean I’m not representing a woman who is,” she says. The 28-year-old from Lincoln, Nebraska, is proud to be an envoy for the millions of women overlooked and underserved by the fashion industry. “I’m giving curvy women a seat at a table that we’ve never been invited to before – a table with high-end fashion people who have never considered us beautiful.”
This story is from the January 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
‘Is Three Relationships Too Many?'
With his girlfriend out of town, Jack’s* wife suggests he finds a third partner
Brave New Beauty
Is tech about to revolutionise your skincare regime and transport you into a whole new universe of beautification? Joanna Taylor isn’t always convinced…
How The Gig Economy Is Killing Millennials…
I put in 18-hour days. I work in the same room I sleep in. I never know when or if I’ll be paid. I go days without speaking to anyone.
Could Your #AvoOnToast Get You Headhunted?
Quite possibly. But you’ll have to catch the eye of a new breed of talent scout first. Here’s how…
The Robot Wars
For decades, mankind has feared the day technology becomes cleverer than us. Now it’s here, and we were too busy trying to sync our Sonos to notice. Welcome to The Big Techover...
Hot-Air Health Myths... Exploded
Think you’re up to date with the basic rules of staying in shape? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you probably aren’t…
The Darkside Of BodyBuilding
Amateur fitness competitions have gone mainstream – but do they provide a “healthy” cover for those hiding deadly eating disorders? Former competitor Rebecca Barnes, 22, certainly thinks so.
The Stacy Dooley Effect
From the frontline to the dancefloor, Stacey Dooley defied all the odds to become TV’s golden girl. But it could have worked out very differently
Kings Of The Night
Sex, champagne and parties on tap… what could possibly go wrong? BOBBY PALMER spends the night with the most successful club promoter in London
Is Beauty A Tickıng Timebomb?
With their legions of fans, beauty-brand founders have exploded onto the scene – sometimes becoming celebrities in their own right. But what happens when their behaviour eclipses their products? Laura Capon investigates