‘I’m here to shatter the boundaries that fashion often sets,’ Ashley Graham begins our interview. ‘I’ll flash you again if you want.’
She’s not kidding on either count. Just this week Ashely Graham hit out over the depiction of Jennifer Lawrence as a ‘curvy role model’ - she said ‘Jennifer Lawrence is the media’s poster girl for curves - but she’s still tiny’ - and a few moments earlier, amid the decadence of the upmarket Covent Garden Hotel, she flashed me. ‘Should I take my pants off too?’ she asks, later. Her confidence is so contagious that I feel half tempted to get mine out too.
We’re chatting boobs - big boobs. Ashley, who hails from Lincoln, Nebraska in the US, and has appeared on the cover of US ELLE, Vogue and an array of other coveted glossies as part of her diverse career (she started modelling at 12) and has risen to be one of the most prominent plus-size models of her time. More recently she's launched a plus-size lingerie range for Navabi.com which promises to do the undoable - provide support *and *sex.
‘First of all it should be about the support,’ Ashley says, ‘but then it should be about the sexy.’ And I have to say I agree. Anyone whose size runs beyond the conventional knows that these two things are all too often mutually exclusive when it comes to underwear - yet probably equally uncomfortable.
‘I created the line because I wanted to get all of that in one bra. It’s really hard to find a well-constructed bra with beautiful touches. The line is very luxurious - there’s lots of lace.’
It’s modelled by Ashley (and I can tell you first hand that she wears it day-to-day, too). It’s already created a storm in Canada and North America, and launched in Europe in November. In March, it will extend from its current range of 36DD to 44E, up to 44G and H.
But when she’s not designing lingerie, Ashley, whose motto is 'sexy is a state of mind' is starting what she calls a ‘Body Revolution’. As co-founder of Alda, a group which talks about body image and aims to be relatable to all women, she goes into schools to talk about body issues and acceptance, and is even working with the UN on a panel project which she can’t yet disclose.
‘There is a body revolution that’s happening where women are slowly taking ownership of their bodies,’ she explains. ‘There’s a great conversation happening where women are saying simply, “I don’t care anymore”.
‘It’s a confidence that’s coming back to women who are saying “this is who I am and you need to accept it”. It’s powerful.’
I have to say, I’m convinced. You?