Ashley Graham Interview - The View 2015
It has been a very busy week for curvy fashion star Ashley Graham.
In just two days, the 28-year-old model has revealed the exciting news that she will star in a saucy spread in Sports Illustrated"s upcoming Swimsuit Issue, unveiled a racy, body-positive swimwear campaign - which will also appear in the pages of the publication - and now she is leading a group of stunning plus-size models in a striking ad series for Lane Bryant aimed at changing the way society views body image.
The series of ads, which also star fellow plus-size fashion stars Denise Bidot, Tara Lynn, Georgia Pratt and Precious Lee, challenge the notion that only women of a certain size can be confident and feel sexy in their skin.
Golden girl: Ashley Graham, who will be featured in Sports Illustrated"s annual Swimsuit Issue, also stars in a new body-positive campaign for Lane Bryant alongside other prominent fuller-size models like Denise Bidot
Here come the girls: Ashley (center) is joined in the campaign by fellow curvy fashion stars (from left to right) Penelope Lee, Denise Bidot, Tara Lynn and Georgia Pratt
Like the brand"s game-changing 2015 #I"mNoAngel campaign, This Body aims to provide plus-size women with a platform to "declare what her body can do".
Speaking to Refinery 29 about that concept, the models all revealed exactly what it is that they feel their bodies were meant for, with Ashley admitting that she thinks hers is intended to start a "revolution".
"[My body is for [starting a revolution," she said. "I realized I could use my career as a model to create change and disrupt the fashion industry, so I started calling myself a "body activist" to help redefine society"s definitions of beauty."
When asked the same question, Tara simply said "love", while Georgia opted for "hugs". Denise, meanwhile said: "My body is made for living (in the moment)."
"We see the same stereotype of the plus size woman in the media: she is unhappy, projecting sort of a low self-esteem, not well dressed, and seemingly spends her nights at home dreaming of another life," Lane Bryant CMO Brian Beitler said of the campaign. "This Body aims to celebrate who she reallyis."
Quite a week! On Tuesday morning, the 28-year-old unveiled an image from the Sports Illustrated shoot on her Instagram account
On a roll: Ashley also appears in a new campaign for swimwear brand Swimsuits for All, which is also set to feature in the pages of Sports Illustrated later this month
Encore: Ashley also starred in Lane Bryant"s powerful Plus Is Equal campaign last fall (pictured)
The striking series of provocative portraits which take center stage in the campaign were shot by fashion photographer Cass Bird in black and white, and see the ladies stripped down to their bras, showing off their curves to full effect.
In one, model Tara is shown lying on the ground in a pleated skirt, a blazer and a scalloped bra. The text reads: "This body is made for glamour."
In another, Ashley bears her midriff in an outfit of distressed jeans, a denim jacket and a bra, while the text on the portrait reads: "This body is made for rocking denim."
The size 14 model also starred in Lane Bryant"s powerfulPlus Is Equal campaign last September, which brought to light that though 67 per cent of US women are size 14 to 34, they are grossly underrepresented in the media.
Sexy at every size: Fellow plus-size fashion star Tara Lynn joins Ashley in the campaign
Natural beauty: The model is no stranger to posing in her lingerie, and often shares images of herself wearing little more than a bra and underpants on her Instagram account
Since then, some progress on the issue has been made.
Mattel Inc. recently introduced a line of Barbies that come in an assortment of shapes and sizes, designer Marc Jacobs tapped plus-size singer Beth Ditto to walk in his Spring 2016 show and Ashley Graham will grace the pages of the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue for the first time.
Still, according to Lane Bryant CEO and President Linda Healsey, the retailer has only just begun its goal of shifting conventional perception.
"Lane Bryant will continue to be [our customer"s] platform for celebrating her as she is. She is beautiful, she is strong. The world is ready for more curves," she said.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3439357/Three-magic-number-Size-14-Ashley-Graham-debuts-body-positive-Lane-Bryant-hours-unveiling-Sports-Illustrated-spread-new-swimwear-ad.html
