Ashley Graham Is Throwing Some Subtle Shade at Victoria's Secret
Ashley Graham has gone from feeling like an outsider in the modeling industry to straight-up conquering it. And she's using her powers for good by promoting body-positivity (and inclusivity) any chance she gets, most recently with regard to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
See, the lingerie brand has yet to include plus-size models, despite the fact that fans have been asking them to feature a more diverse and inclusive lineup for a while now. Just hours before the show went live on Sunday, Graham took to Instagram to tease her followers, suggesting that she'd been involved in the show. "Got my wings! My #AdditionElle wings!" she wrote alongside a photo of her on the runway wearing sexy lingerie and flaunting some massive wings. She also added the hashtag "#thickthighssavelives."
It seems like this is Graham's way of subtly calling out Victoria's Secret for continuing to only feature straight-size women. The original photo of Graham was actually taken at Addition Elle's September 2016 New York Fashion Week presentation, where she was among the first plus-size women to wear lingerie on such an elite runway.
Even though the fashion industry is working toward being more inclusive, XL is the largest panty size Victoria's Secret, and the largest bra size is 40DDD. People have definitely taken notice of the limited size selection and even started a petition for VS to add plus-size items. Graham, who has her own lingerie line catering specifically to plus-size women, was obviously trying to make a point here.
The model's fans commented on the post to show their approval. "It's about time there's a place for all women and she just proved it," one user wrote. "You are an inspiration to all of us...thick and thin...beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and I only wish I had such a strong healthy model to look up to as I grew up," said another.
Whether Graham ends up becoming a VS angel or not, she will always continue to be a body-positive icon. But #realtalk, seeing a plus-size model on that runway would be more than a welcome change.
