When we spoke to Ashley Graham last year, she told us she was going to be a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model one day. And it turns out, she was correct.
The self-proclaimed "size sexy" model has been named one of this year's SI rookies, making her the second plus-size model to be given the title. (Robyn Lawley was one of 2015's "rookies")
"It has meant everything and more," Graham tells HuffPost Canada Style of the nod. "It means there’s been a shift in people's minds of what actual beauty is."
She continues, "You have seen girls in SI, their career goes to another level, and I’m really excited to see what more the curvy girl era can really accomplish. I’ve been fighting the good fight for the last 15 years, so I’m really excited to see what else happens."
So far, only three "rookies" have been announced, including Ashley. She will go up against Victoria's Secret alumna Barbara Palvin and Guess model Bojana Krsmanovic.
And this won't be the American model's only appearance in the issue — she will also appear in a new ad campaign by Swimsuits for All alongside Philomena Kwao and 56-year-old model Nicola Griffin. This marks the second time Graham appears in a Swimsuits for All ad in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, with the last time being the first plus-size ad appearing in the glossy.
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