Beauty Beyond Stereotypes

Beauty Beyond Limitations

Beauty Beyond Size

When Ashley Graham became the first size 14 model to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, she broke a barrier many thought impenetrable. That’s what supermodel Ashley Graham does—she tears down the walls that have always existed around curvy women in fashion, showing the world that when it comes to beauty, size is just a number. In the process, she has become a voice for all who don’t fit the old standards of the feminine ideal and a leader in an industry that felt out of step with a majority of real women.

In A New Model, Ashley shares the story of her life and career: from the mall in Nebraska where she was discovered, to her move to New York City as a naïve teenager, to her years as a strictly catalog model whom her agents relied on for revenue but never sent out for runway jobs, and to her decision to break out of the shadows and fight against those who told her she’d never grace a magazine cover. Learn how Ashley has struggled with and been supported by her family; how her husband, Justin, came into her life at a time when she was closed off to love; how she has coped with her issues around food; how the fashion industry lacks understanding of the curvy body; and how faith in a higher power helped her find her center again. This is an honest, inspirational, and surprisingly relatable story of a supermodel, yes—but also of a woman who, like so many, has struggled with rejection, self-confidence, and self-image. Ashley is not afraid to show her real self to the world, on social media, in interviews, and now in the pages of A New Model. Through her actions and by telling her story, Ashley hopes to help every woman be her strongest, most confident, and most beautiful self.

One of the most outspoken voices gracing the cover of magazines today encourages women to be their most confident selves, recognize their personal beauty, and reach for their highest dreams in this wise, warm, and inspiring memoir Voluptuous beauty Ashley Graham has been modeling professionally since the age of thirteen. Discovered at a shopping mall in Nebraska, her stunning face and sexy curves have graced the covers of top magazines, including Cosmopolitan and British Vogue, and she was the first size 14 model to appear on the front of the wildly popular Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. The face of brands such as H&M Studio, she is also a judge for the latest season of America's Next Top Model. And that's only the beginning for this extraordinary talent. Ashley is leading a new generation of women breaking ground and demolishing stereotypes, transforming our ideals about body image and what is fashionable and beautiful. A woman who proves that when it comes to beauty, size is just a number, she is the voice for the body positivity movement today and a role model for all women-no matter their individual body type, shape, or weight. In this collection of insightful, provocative essays illustrated with a dozen photos, Ashley shares her perspective on how ideas around body image are evolving-and how we still have work to do; the fun-and stress-of a career in the fashion world; her life before modeling; and her path to accepting her size without limiting her dreams-defying rigid industry standards and naysayers who told her it couldn't be done. As she talks about her successes and setbacks, Ashley offers support for every woman coming to terms with who she is, bolster her self-confidence, and motivates her to be her strongest, healthiest, and most beautiful self.