What’s it going to take for a plus-size model to get into the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue? Only a lot of cash.
Larger-than-average model Ashley Graham, 27, will break the bikini ceiling in this year’s supermodel-laden pages — but in the form of an ad for the plus-size swimwear company, Swim Suits for All.
Graham, who is size 16, has modeled for Lane Bryant, Levi’s and Target, and been in the pages of Vogue and Glamour. But the SI Swimsuit issue is virgin territory for a big girl.
But Graham thinks her ad will start to break down that wall.
“I know my curves are sexy and I want everyone else to know that theirs are, too,” Graham says in a statement. “There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt.”
Last year’s Swimsuit Edition featured familiar faces Lily Aldridge, Chrissy Teigen and Nina Agdal on the cover, showing off their backsides.
This year’s cover model — or models — won’t be revealed until Feb. 9 when the issue hits newsstands, but SI traditionally chooses a rising star with a Victoria’s Secret-approved figure.
