Even though Ashley Graham is a huge figure in the body positivity movement, the model “hates” having to discuss her figure all the time.
The star revealed this news in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, explaining that will keep talking about her body, regardless, in order to be a role model for others--especially because she never had that while growing up.
“I hate that I constantly have to discuss my body, because I don’t know any man that has to do that,” Graham said. “But what motivates me to continue to talk about my body is that I didn’t have someone talking about their body when I was young.”
She continued, “This is why I don’t post like the ‘perfect’ Instagram photos. I keep it real and raw constantly because I want [people] to know that there are women with cellulite, with back fat, with stretch marks. There are a lot of curvy women, plus-size women, fat women, whatever you want to call them.”
Ashley continued, explaining that she tries to be the role model she would have wanted for herself as a young woman.
“My brand is about confidence and owning who you are and being honest with who you are,” she said. “I think that’s incredibly reflective of my Instagram, my YouTube, my podcast. I just wish that I had someone that was as real and honest and open when I was in middle school, high school, moving to New York.”
Graham went on to speak about her desire to make lasting changes in the fashion industry.
“I really feel like in so many ways my career and what I’m doing is to change an industry forever,” she explained. “This has to be the moment where fashion changes—where TV, film, everything changes.”
The model continued, saying,“If you’re not talking about something that you’re passionate about, then what are you using your platform for? How are you creating change?”
Luckily, even though Ashley didn’t have any role models in the public eye, her mom helped a lot with her self confidence.
“I got most of my confidence by having a mother who never said ‘I don’t like this or this,’” she explained in an interview with Vogue back in 2014. “It was just, ‘You’ve got to love what you have because it is the only body that has been given.’ I know that is where a lot of my confidence came from.”
