Fuller-figured women belong at the heart of fashion, says Ashley Graham

Bang Showbiz on Apr 29, 2025

Published in Women

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Ashley Graham hopes to bring "long-overdue representation to the full-figured community".

The 37-year-old model has agreed a multi-year partnership with JCPenney, the American department store chain, and Ashley is now on a mission to help women of all shapes and sizes to feel "sexy and confident" in their own skin.

The brunette beauty - who appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue back in 2016 - told People: "My goal has always been the same, from the start of my career to now - not making bodies a topic of conversation. Talking about bodies and our sizes and what makes someone have a beautiful body is so tired at this point.

"What I truly want for the women we designed this JCPenney collection for is to feel beautiful, sexy - all the things!"

Ashley feels "proud" of her new collection, observing that fuller-figured women "belong at the heart of fashion".

She said: "The majority of American women wear size 14 or above. Why are we not making clothes for a majority of women? There's such a deficit.

"It's time to leave behind those outdated ideas that fuller figured women don't belong at the heart of fashion. Together, we're uplifting voices and bringing long-overdue representation to the full-figured community."

Meanwhile, Ashley previously revealed that another model questioned her Sports Illustrated photoshoot in 2016.

Ashley was the first plus-size star to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue - but according to Ashley, one unnamed model actually questioned the decision.

Speaking to Naomi Campbell as part of her 'No Filter With Naomi' YouTube series, Ashley shared: "The second year that I tried out, I got it and I was a rookie. It was a fantastic photoshoot, great images and boom! I got the cover."

Then, Ashley revealed how her photoshoot was received by some of the other models.

The runway star - who has been married to producer Justin Ervin since 2010 - said: "There was another model who was so upset that I had gotten the cover and she said I was very large and that women my size should not be on the cover."