Ashley Graham is a gift we don’t deserve!
Not only has the supermodel taken the world by storm, but the brunette beauty is also a regular advocate for body positivity. Nonetheless, the It-girl is aware that the public has embraced her curvalicious figure because she’s a white model.
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On white privilege in the modeling industry, the America’s Next Top Model judge candidly told The Cut:
“I know I’m on this pedestal because of white privilege. To not see black or Latina women as famous in my industry is crazy! I have to talk about it. I want to give those women kudos because they are the ones who paved the way for me.”
Still, Ashley’s rise to success hasn’t been without roadblocks. In fact, the A-lister regularly deals with designers and photographers who are unwillingly to style and shoot her. How awful.
Specifically, while Ashley made a splash at this year’s Met Gala (Side Note: Rihanna told her she looked “hot as fuck), the 29-year-old couldn’t go the year before because she couldn’t get anyone to style her. Ashley quipped:
“I couldn’t get a designer to dress me. You can’t just show up in jeans and a T-shirt.”
At first, Ashley thought designers were hesitant to dress her because her husband, Justin Ervin, made the mistake of hugging Anna Wintour just before the famed gala. Now, Graham claims she didn’t have the right designer relationships nor was there enough time to lock in a custom look.
However, as The Cut theorizes, it’s likely some designers did not want to associate themselves with a curvy model. We mean, a similar issue arose while Ashley was doing a shoot for British Vogue. Thankfully, Coach agreed to dress Ashley for the shoot, but not before other fashion houses straight up refused to lend their clothes. Smh.
Related: Ashley Bares It ALL For LOVE Magazine!
British Vogue hadn’t informed Ashely about the dressing struggle but wasn’t surprised by it when she learned that was the case in the editor’s note. Later in the interview, the DNCE video vixen explained:
“The thing is, people are like, ├óΓé¼╦£Oh, we don’t want to offend her.’ I’m the one living this life! I know people don’t want to dress me!”
There’s no need to walk on egg shells around Ashley as she’s been aware of her curves since she was a teen. According to Ashley, a boy once broke up with her because he was afraid she’d become as fat as his mom. Whoa.
Graham added:
“That really made me hyperaware that I am a big girl, and that’s how people see me.”
Yet, that experience didn’t deter Ashley from embracing her bod. Which we’re so grateful for as, thanks to Ashley, things are rapidly changing in the industry. Despite despising the term “plus size,” Graham has allied herself with many of her curvy peers — including Marquita Pring, Julie Henderson, etc. — and makes sure to promote them when ever she gets the chance.
On helping out her fellow curve models (an alternative term for “plus-size” that Ashley has coined), the powerhouse looker noted:
“I’m getting a seat at the table we’ve never had before, and I’m also pulling up a couple of seats around me. I know this isn’t about me. Just one girl is not going to change the world.”
Like we said, we don’t deserve Ashley Graham. *Snaps*
[Image via The Cut.]
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