Ashley Graham has made headlines for her incredible work promoting body positivity and inclusivity within the fashion and modeling industries.
She has come under fire from many of her fans recently after Instagram photos have shown that she has lost weight.
Ashley Graham in a red Christian Siriano mermaid gown at amfAR Gala Cannes 2022 at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 26, 2022, in Cap d’Antibes, France (Credit: DDP / INSTARimages)
This mom of three gracefully juggles a full-time modeling career, her advocacy efforts, and her home life and insists that she is authentically herself regardless of her size.
Ashley Graham’s Personal Life: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Love
Ashley Graham was born on October 30, 1987. She started modeling when she was twelve and has since faced scrutiny from agencies and brands due to her size.
She told the audience during her 2015 TED Talk, “While most kids are going through their self-discovery stage in college, my self-discovery stage was in the midst of catwalks, catalogs, and casting calls.”
Ashley Graham doesn’t want to be labeled as a “plus-size” model (Credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock)
Finding Love in Unexpected Places: The Story of Ashley and Justin
Graham met her husband, Justin Ervin, in a church elevator in 2009, and they were married shortly after that, in 2010.
“The church we used to go to had themes. This Sunday, they had ex-porn stars talking to the congregation about how porn ruined their lives,” Graham told Cosmopolitan magazine about meeting her husband Justin Ervin on Porn Sunday.
Ashley Graham is a loving mother and gave birth to her first child, a son named Isaac Menelik Giovanni, on January 18, 2020. Two years later, in January 2022, she gave birth to twin sons, Malachi and Roman.
Taking a Break: Why Ashley Graham Stepped Away From Instagram
Immediately following the birth of her twins in 2022, Ashley Graham took a break from social media and deleted her Instagram account for six weeks.
Like many celebrities, Graham found that the constant demand and excessive negativity of social media were doing damage to her mental health.
Supermodel Ashley Graham met her husband, Justin Ervin, in a church elevator and married in 2010 (Credit: Milla Cochran / Startraksphoto)
After the birth of her children, she logged off to be more present and spend precious moments with her family.
Championing Body Positivity: Ashley Graham’s Impactful Modeling Career
Ashley Graham has been in the public eye as a model for a while, working with brands like Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Hanes, and Target.
She was named Full Figured Fashion Week’s Model of the Year in 2012, and her advocacy for body positivity has always been at the forefront of her career.
Ashley Graham leaves a Pilates class in black leggings, white socks, and Adidas slides on May 14, 2021, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: BauerGriffin / INSTARimages)
In 2016, Graham was the first plus-size model to be featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and in 2017, she was the very first plus-size model to be seen on the cover of Vogue.
Though Ashley Graham is considered a “plus-size” model by industry standards, she hates the classification and the term in general.
She told WSJ Magazine, “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 couldn’t 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.”
Pregnant Ashley Graham flaunts her baby bump in an Enzo Costa dress and black booties on October 30, 2019, in New York City (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages)
Graham has been known to publicly acknowledge photographers and brands for not retouching her photos and even told The Cut to enhance her natural cellulite instead of editing it out.
Navigating the Spotlight: Ashley Graham’s Response to Weight Loss Criticism
Unfortunately, when you make a career out of body positivity, it’s easy to attract people who scrutinize your every move.
Ashley Graham in a black Christian Siriano dress at the CFDA Fashion Awards at the Brooklyn Museum of Art on June 3, 2019, in New York City (Credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock)
In 2020, Graham began to face backlash after pictures showed her looking smaller than before.
Commenters reached out to ask why the model had lost weight and claimed she was changing herself to conform to industry standards, to which Graham commented and replied, “People come on my page and body shame me because I’m too big, because I’m too small, because I’m not good enough for their standards. But at the end of the day, I’m good enough for me. Angles will make anyone look bigger or smaller and I just happen to know mine.”
Ashley Graham carries a vintage Chanel bag from What Goes Around Come Around and shows off her baby bump at the Savage X Fenty fashion show on September 10, 2019, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (Credit: Media Punch / INSTARimages)
Graham advocates for the Health at Every Size movement and is enthusiastic about healthy living. She is a regular kickboxer and a healthy eater, and she posts workout pictures on her Instagram consistently.
What’s Next for Ashley Graham? Continuing Advocacy Beyond the Scale
Graham has made a career by promoting and supporting women, whether in size 0 or 40.
There is no limit to her advocacy, and even if she does lose weight from regular exercise, there is no doubt that she will continue to support the causes she holds dear to her heart and encourage the plus-size community to reach their goals and dreams as she has.
Ashley Graham in an outfit by Alessandro Michele’s Gucci at The Metropolitan Museum Of Art’s 2019 Costume Institute Benefit “Camp: Notes On Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019, in New York City (Credit: Hahn Lione / ABACA / INSTARimages)
There is no limit to success with the right mindset, and Ashley Graham has shown the world that you are beautiful no matter what the scale, society, or outdated modeling standards say.
Ashley Graham shows off her size 10 (US) feet in black high heels (Credit: Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock)
VH1’s Divas Holiday 2016: Star-Studded Comeback with Ashley Graham, Mariah Carey, and More
After a four-year hiatus, VH1’s Divas finally gathered your favorite ladies on one stage for the holidays.
Ashley Graham flaunts her boobs on the 2016 VH1’s “Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night” red carpet at Kings Theater, New York, on December 3, 2016 (Credit: WENN)
In December 2016, Ashley Graham was fortunate to rub elbows with Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and Vanessa Williams backstage before presenting.
She flaunted her boobs in a burgundy velvet dress at the VH1 “Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night” at the Kings Theater in New York.
Ashley Graham shows off her feet in gorgeous Gianvito Rossi “Augusta” sandals (Credit: WENN)
Ashley hit all the right notes in her trendy outfit, wearing a velvet high-neck bodycon dress by Agent Provocateur.
The plus-size lingerie model finished her look with accessories from Milan jeweler Vhernier and a pair of velvet Gianvito Rossi “Augusta” sandals.
Ashley Graham flaunts her legs in a bodycon dress by Agent Provocateur (Credit: Dan Jackman / Ivan Nikolov / WENN)
You can shop the gorgeous Gianvito Rossi “Augusta” velvet sandals at Farfetch.
Gianvito Rossi Augusta Velvet Ankle-Wrap Sandals, $929.68 – $1,145
Augusta sandals in blue velvet with striking gold trims and ankle tie
Strappy sandal in plush burgundy velvet with golden embroidered trims for an all-around striking look
Gianvito Rossi embroidered-trim velvet sandal with leather piping