An American plus size model and television presenter, Ashley Graham has been a pioneering figure the world over for her role in the rise and development of the plus size modeling sector and their entry in the world of fashion.
This October-born beauty was first scouted at the age of 12 in a shopping mall in her native Nebraska, she signed with an international modeling agency a year later.
When Graham was in eighth grade, she moved to Lincoln, Nebraska with her family. Growing up, she was diagnosed with ADD and dyslexia. She has two younger sisters. She attended Scott Middle School from 1999 to 2002 and attended Lincoln Southwest High School from 2002 to 2005.
She was identified in 2000 by the I & I agency and that was the beginning of a successful and game-changing modeling career that transformed the lives of many and changed the game in the entire fashion industry.
In 2001, Graham signed a deal with Wilhelmina Models, after attending a model convention. In 2003, she signed a deal with Ford Models. During the early stages of her career, she appeared in YM magazine.
In April 2007, she was profiled by Sally Singer of Vogue magazine. She appeared in the October 2009 issue of Glamour editorial “These Bodies are Beautiful at Every Size,” along with some other renowned plus-size models including Kate Dillon Levin, Amy Lemons, Lizzie Miller, Crystal Renn, Jennie Runk and Anansa Sims.
Graham was the first plus-size model to appear in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit edition, by way of Swimsuits For All ad, and has continued to use her exploding media influence as a platform for positive body image and self-acceptance messages.
In December 2010, Graham also appeared in an editorial for Bust magazine. She appeared in several Levi’s campaigns, notably Curve ID SS 2011 with Sabina Karlsson, Ana Lisboa, Marquita Pring and McKenzie Raley, and Boyfriend Collection F/W 10 with Rachel Clark, Ana Lisboa, Anais Mali, Marquita Pring and Ashley Smith.
Graham has appeared in several Marina Rinaldi campaigns: Spring/Summer 2012, Fall/Winter 2012 denim, and Fall/Winter 2012 sport.
Her huge social media presence which was vastly amplified by a TEDx talk she gave in 2015 has made her a role model for women and girls across the globe.
Any affiliation with Ashley Graham almost always results in a viral hashtag or campaign; her fame has resulted in partnership opportunities such as a plus-size lingerie collaboration with Addition Elle and a swimsuit collaboration with Swimsuits for All.
In 2016, Graham served as a backstage host for Miss USA 2016, Miss Universe 2016, Miss USA 2017, Miss Universe 2017 and Miss Universe 2018. In addition, she was an official judge of the reality show America’s Next Top Model transmitted by VH1.
In 2017, Graham released a book, A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like. In this memoir, she provides insight into her experiences as a model and as an advocate for body positivity and shares her prospects for the evolution of body image in years to come.
In 2016, Graham was invited by the UN Foundation for their “Girl Up” initiative to speak at their Leadership Summit, and in the same year, she was placed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
Graham is a proponent of body positivity and has always taken the topic as something that is very close to her heart. She has always talked about this topic with different passion and vigour and that is why she has become such a powerful star, not just in the world of fashion but all over the world. Graham has been praised by women on Instagram for sharing photos showing her cellulite.
In an interview with Vogue, she said, “I definitely think that my body has changed many people’s lives. I’ve used my body as a tool to talk about taboo subjects, such as cellulite or being insecure about lower belly fat, and also [how to] talk life into your body and have an affirmation kind of conversation with yourself.
And I know the lives that have been changed: young girls and even women my age who have written me and said, ‘I never loved the skin that I was in until I heard your journey’.” Graham has stated she does not prefer the term “plus-size”, saying, “I think that when you use the word ‘plus-size’ you’re putting all these women into a category: ‘You don’t eat well.’ ‘You don’t work out.’ ‘You could care less about your body.’ ‘You’re insecure.’ ‘You have no confidence.’ And that is none of this (pointing at her body)”… The fashion industry may persist to label me as ‘plus-size,’ but I like to think of it as ‘my size.”
In 2019, Graham brought her sister Abigail on board to model her newest collaboration with Swimsuits For All. The pair donned a number of looks from the summer 2019 capsule collection for a shoot on the beaches of Punta Cana, photographed by Ben Watts.
Graham also co-founded ALDA, a collective of models signed with IMG that defy societal expectations and transcend the boundaries of conventional models’ appearances. ALDA models support the growing industry for plus-size models, advocating for body acceptance and challenging conventional notions of beauty. There is so much that she has done over her career, that it is hard for any woman not to look up to her.
Throughout her career span, Ashley Graham has developed a sense of attachment to herself in the eyes of women all across the world. She has made a tremendous impact on the confidence of women in a positive manner and that has helped them find their feet in all aspects of life, personal and professional.
Her work is astounding for many reasons and the way she leads her life in the public eye is exemplary. As a promoter of the body positivity movement and a leader of the plus size modeling community, Ashley Graham deserves all the praise in the world for what she has achieved in her career and the positive way in which she has used her fame.
