Ashley Graham says her work fighting for body diversity is not 'complete': 'Keep going'

Ashley Graham is reflecting on her time in the modeling industry — and how far fashion still needs to go in terms of body inclusivity.

The mom of three, 35, spoke to People this week at the 12th annual Women Making History Awards gala in Washington, D.C., where she opened up about still fighting for “equality of size diversity on the runway on the covers of magazines, and film, and TV.” Her work, she told the magazine, has never quite felt “complete.”

"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 that they believe is just to keep going," she explained. "Keep fighting, keep striving for what it is that you want to change."

Graham has long advocated for different kinds of bodies to be featured in fashion and entertainment. In December 2022, she hit back at claims that she had taken fat positivity “too far” with a gold dress she wore for Tori Kelly’s birthday party.

“Quote tweet this with a photo of you taking 'fat positivity' too far,” she wrote, alongside a photo of herself wearing the criticized dress. “I'll start.”

Her followers shared their own body-celebratory photos in response.

Graham’s body acceptance work extends to her own postpartum figure. In an April 2022 Instagram post snapped three months after she gave birth to her twin sons, she wrote, “"Hi, new tummy. We’ve been through a lot. Thank you. #3monthspostpartum."

One month later, she posed nude for a Spanx ad, telling People at the time, "My body has changed so much. I have much more gratitude toward my body because of how much work it's been through, but it has definitely taken time to, you know, look at my new body, and my postpartum body, and recognize it again."

Though she felt good about the shoot, she admitted to giving herself a pep talk.

"[I] had a little talk with [myself] in the mirror," she explained. "I said, 'Everything's gonna be OK. You look fantastic.'"

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life’s newsletter. Sign up here.