'There's lot of work to do': Ashley Graham says she's 'still fighting' for model size inclusivity on runway
WASHINGTON, DC: Ashley Graham, the renowned 35-year-old model, spoke to People at the 12th annual Women Making History Awards gala in Washington, DC, about the urgent need for inclusivity and diversity in model sizes on the runway. Despite working in the fashion industry for over 20 years, she still finds herself fighting for equality and representation in various media forms.
In her own words, Graham stated, "I have been working as a model for over 20 years and I still am fighting to this day for equality of size diversity on the runway on the covers of magazines, and film, and TV. And it's never felt complete." The National Women's History Museum hosts the Women Making History Awards gala. As a vocal advocate for size inclusivity, Graham believes there is still much more work to be done in this regard. She advises aspiring models and young women to persist in their efforts to bring about positive change, saying, "I think there's still a lot of work to do. And that's why I tell younger women and women who are also fighting for what things they believe is just to keep going. Keep fighting, keep striving for what it is that you want to change."
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Embracing vulnerability and self-acceptance
During times when she experiences self-doubt, Graham has learned to acknowledge her feelings and give herself permission to experience vulnerability. She shared, "On days when I'm feeling insecure, I tell myself, 'It's okay. We're feeling insecure.' I don't fake it. I have faked it. But I think that it's okay to have those moments. And it's okay to live in that."
For Graham, the key is to accept oneself for who they are and avoid pretending to be someone they are not. She elaborated, "We don't have to take ourselves and try to be something that we're not. And I think that that's the most important thing, to allow those feelings, but to not revel in that. It's about handling stress. How are you going to handle it in the moments?"
Importance of model diversity
Graham has been a vocal advocate for promoting model diversity on the runway. In a 2018 interview with People, she stated, "I can't speak to what anybody else wants to do except for myself and the fact that I will always have an inclusive runway show."
Graham firmly believes that beauty transcends size and celebrates individuality. She explained, "For me, beauty has always been beyond size. This is about using women who look different because we all look different, and we need to praise that difference about us. That is what is beautiful, it's that we're all not created the same. So I am just so happy that I actually make lingerie for women who want to feel sexy and who want to feel accepted."