Model
A size 14 who wears a 36 triple-D bra, plus-size model Graham landed five magazine covers in the last year plus a bikini ad in the 2015 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. “I’ve had success in breaking the mold in the fashion industry,” she says. She credits “my hot body. It sounds a little misogynistic, but I also think that it’s great because I have a body that the average-size American woman has. And I’m using it to let other women know that you are beautiful.”Graham got her start at age 12, when a modeling scout plucked her out of a crowd at a shopping mall in Omaha, near her hometown of Lincoln, Nebr. After signing with Ford and moving to New York at 17, she lost her way for a year, gorging on pizza and ballooning to a size 18. She’s since become what she calls a “body activist,” advocating for the 50% of American women who wear a size 14 or larger, an $18 billion market. She also has her own $1.6 million (sales) lingerie line with Canadian retailer Addition Elle. Proof that she’s not only changing the way women are seen but also how they see themselves and shop.
Photo: Jamel Toppin for Forbes
