Over the past few years, Ashley Graham has conquered the modeling world and developed a reputation as a sharp entrepreneur. The 32-year-old is one of the most recognizable models in the business, gaining attention for her striking looks as well as her work as a body diversity advocate. Graham, who lives in Los Angeles, is married to director Justin Ervin, and is currently expecting their first child. (Graham spilled the baby beans recently; it’s a boy, due sometime in January). Interested in finding out more about the Vogue cover star? Below, find five things you didn’t know about Graham.
She has a shopping mall to thank for her rise to fame. Graham was spotted by a modeling agent while at the mall in her native Nebraska with her father at age 12, and just a year later, she was signed with an international modeling agency.
She made history in 2016, becoming the first curvy model to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It was a big year for Graham; just a month prior, Forbes had featured her on their annual “30 Under 30” list.
She developed her own lingerie line. Graham contacted plus-size distributor Addition Elle to bring her line to stores, with sizes going up to a 44DDD. Graham told Vogue in 2014, “It is really hard to find lingerie that’s both supportive and sexy. I’m a sexy girl who likes to wear see-through shirts with lace popping out, and I really wanted that in my size.”
Graham’s desert-island product, the one she’d choose above all others, is rose water, as she explained in a “73 Questions” video. (Other revelations: She’s also into mermaid conspiracy theories and the Netflix series Stranger Things.)
She’s not the world’s biggest fan of the term “plus-size.” In a 2017 interview with the Associated Press, Graham explained her dislike of it, saying, “I just think it’s divisive. I think labeling and putting a name on women in certain categories because [of] a number inside of their pants isn’t really getting us any farther in life.” Graham has helped countless fans increase their self-acceptance with her body diversity advocacy, which extends to posting unedited, un-retouched photos of herself on Instagram. “I’ve used my body as a tool to talk about taboo subjects, such as cellulite or being insecure about lower belly fat—and also [how to] talk life into your body and have an affirmation kind of conversation with yourself,” Graham told Vogue in 2017.
