Model Ashley Graham Proudly Shows Off Stretch Marks In New Swimsuit Campaign: ‘'This Is My New Mom Bod'
Ashley Graham is fully embracing her post-baby body. The model showed off her famous figure, stretch marks and all, in a series of swimsuit photos in part of her collaboration with Swimsuits For All.
According to PEOPLE, the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl, who welcomed a son, Isaac just six month ago with husband Justin Ervin, chose to model the collection without Photoshopping the stretch marks she developed during her pregnancy.
"There's always a question of what do you want us to retouch, and what do you want us to take out? And I said, 'Nothing'," except from a clamp holding up the DIY backdrop," she told the publication. "I want everybody to know genuinely... I want people to see who I am because everybody has a story.”
ASHLEY GRAHAM SHOWS POST-BABY STRETCH MARKS IN NUDE SELFIE
“A lot of women I speak to have image issues, body issues around confidence,” the 32-year-old continued. “I want them to understand that we all have things that society has told us to cover up and why do we need to do that? So here I am with mine out and about and proud.”
In the gorgeous photos, Graham showed off a number of styles from the new size-inclusive swimwline, ranging in sizes from four to 24.
"It looks so simple and beautiful, but powerful," she said. "I've got more weight on me. I have stretch marks, and in the beginning I really had to have a lot of conversations with myself and tell myself, 'Okay, new body, new mindset.' But after this photo shoot, I felt so empowered because I was like, 'Yes. I look good. I feel good. This is my new mom bod.'"
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American Beauty Star host shared a few behind-the-scenes pics of her shoot which were taken by her husband in her native Nebraska.
“Some things I love: a cute bathing suit and a backyard shoot with the family,” she captioned the snaps. “We’ve had such great time making the most of this summer in Nebraska and these suits have me feeling great for my first summer as a mommy!”
The brunette bombshell has long been been a proponent of the body positivity. In 2016, Graham became the first size 16 model to be featured on the cover of SI Swimsuit Issue. Glamour described her cover as "bringing size acceptance into the mainstream".
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She has been routinely praised by women on social media for sharing realistic photos of her curvy body, including her cellulite.
"I definitely think that my body has changed many peoples’ lives,” she revealed in an interview with Vogue. “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. And I know the lives that have been changed: young girls and even women my age who have written me and said, 'I never loved the skin that I was in until I heard your journey'."