Fierce plus-size model Ashley Graham appears almost totally naked on this months cover of Maxim magazine.
Very excited and proud about the feature, the 28-year-old model shared the picture on Instagram, however many questioned whether or not the the picture was Photoshoped. Fans claim that Graham, size 16, looks slimmed down.
Ashley Graham, a very confident and bold woman, released a statement yesterday confronting the rumors of retouching.
“I’m beyond proud to be the first curvy woman on the cover of Maxim. I was not slimmed down on the cover, and Gilles Bensimon did an amazing job capturing my true figure in all of the photos. This is another major advancement for curvy women, especially those who work in the fashion industry who are working hard to get the recognition they deserve. I now encourage more publications and designers to put more diversity on their covers and runways. Let’s continue to show that beautiful bodies come in different sizes and they should all be celebrated.”
Photographer Gilles Bensimon also denied that she was slimmed down. Others are unhappy with the cover– because they believe that her body is covered up because she is a bigger girl.
The past year has been one hell of a ride for Graham from becoming one of the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Models to the face of Forever 21’s first plus-size activewear line. Ashely Graham continues to represent curvier girls all over.
