Why Ashley Graham Didn’t Retouch Her Stretch Marks In New Swimsuit Campaign

Ashley Graham proves yet again that she is the perfect role model. The Supermodel, activist and new mom has always been a huge advocate of body positivity as well as size acceptance. And Graham’s latest Swimsuit campaign is all that and more.

Ashley, who gave birth to an adorable little baby boy named Isaac back in January, is well and truly back to work. And she is proudly normalizing her new stretch marks and post-baby curves in a campaign photographed by husband, Justin Ervin, in her home state of Nebraska.

On Thursday, the 32-year-old model shared a series of photos modelling a range of swimsuits for her new size inclusive swimwear line, in collaboration with Swimsuits For All. The collection features bold prints, bright solids and sexy lace-up details in sizes 4-24.

“I want people to see who I am because everybody has a story”

The new mother’s stretch marks are proudly displayed intentionally. Graham, in a bid to normalize images of women’s diverse bodies, insisted that the photos remain Unretouched.

“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. I want everybody to know genuinely. I want people to see who I am because everybody has a story.”

Graham spoke about how she wants her stretch marks to be seen and for other women to feel empowered to show off their own. “A lot of women I speak to have image issues, body issues around confidence. 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,” Graham says.

Thoughtfully Constructed, Inclusive Line

The supermodel even wants the consumers to feel the same sense of empowerment when they slip on a swimsuit from her new collection. Each style was “thoughtfully constructed with stay-put fabric and no-quit elastic” to hug your curves in all the right places.

“The thing about working with Swimsuits For All is that I’ve always been able to design swimsuits that I want to wear and swimsuits that I’m really comfortable in,” the new mom says. “Now with a new postpartum body, I thought that things were going to feel different, and look different, and they do. But it’s a new found joy in that.” Fans praised the body positivity queen and thanked her for being ‘real’ and ‘normalizing stretch marks.’

“I look good. I feel good. This is my new mom bod”

Talking about the changes her body has been through, post having her beautiful son, Graham admitted to struggling with the changes motherhood brought. However, she now feels “empowered,” thanks to the photo shoot. “It looks so simple and beautiful, but powerful,” Graham explains. “I’ve got more weight on me. I’ve 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’.”

The campaign shots come weeks after Graham and Ervin collaborated together on several of her fashion shoots while staying on her Nebraska family farm amid the Coronavirus pandemic. “Justin and I were already in a rhythm of shooting together in quarantine” the supermodel says, adding that she’s become accustomed to doing her own glam at this point.

Graham says she has “no idea” what the fashion industry will look like, post-pandemic, but she confessed that the quarantine has been “such a blessing” for her in many ways. “I feel like I’ve had more time with Isaac [at] home than I ever would have had,” she shares. “And that really is a silver lining for me.”

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