Ashley Graham, described as the world’s most popular plus-size model, is portrayed here as one of the last major figures still pushing back against the dominance of thinness in fashion. The article says the industry’s brief embrace of body diversity has faded, with skinny models again dominating fashion weeks and magazine covers, size 40 and above pushed to the margins, and Ozempic crowned the big winner of Hollywood’s latest awards season.
Graham has nevertheless made history at key moments. In 2016 she became the first plus-size model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit issue, later landing covers of British and American Vogue in 2016 and 2017. In 2023, Maxim named her the sexiest woman in the world. She also walked in Victoria’s Secret runway shows in 2024 and 2025, wearing a black lace bodysuit, wings, and visible cellulite without apology.
In a recent interview with Marie Claire, Graham criticized popular weight-loss drugs, calling them “a stinging slap in the face to the body-positivity movement and to women in general.” At the same time, she continues to model, pose, undress for shoots, and present herself as living proof of her message that beauty comes in every size. The article emphasizes that she wears the clothes women were long told only thin bodies could wear, including short, sheer, tight, and revealing looks.
The story also catalogs her many high-profile fashion moments, from seven Met Gala appearances to recent red-carpet looks by designers including Di Petsa, Boss, Chanel, Jason Wu, Bach Mai, and others. Now 38, Graham is unusual among swimsuit and lingerie models, many of whom move on to wellness or beauty ventures, because she keeps working as a model rather than stepping away. The piece concludes that she carries the symbolic burden of plus-size representation at a time when that space is shrinking, but does so with style and confidence.
