The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue never fails to garner attention. Every February, men line up to drool over all of the impossibly beautiful models, and women line up to gain the “fitspiration” they’ve been needing since the holidays left them dreading swimsuit season. This year, however, was different. Yes, men still got their eye candy, and yes, women got their fitspo, but this year’s three cover issues also offered its readers something it’s never offered before, and that’s the notion of “beauty beyond size.”
PC: stylenews.com
This famous catch phrase has been a tool of sorts this year for famous supermodel Ashley Graham as she’s made waves in the fashion industry. You may not have heard of her before she nabbed the famed SI cover, but she has actually been around for quite a while, and the fashion industry is better because of it. Activists like Ashley Graham are the reason “beauty beyond size” is at the forefront of pop culture right now. It all started a few years back when Ford Models shut down its plus-sized division, leaving a flurry of stunning women (Ashley Graham included) out of a job. These women banded together to create their own agency, one that deviated from the ubiquitous categorization of models in the industry and simply sold the idea of beauty, regardless of size.
ALDA is a rare breed of modeling agency – one that promotes healthy self esteem.
Their unique perspective and label-free philosophy is spreading like wildfire in the industry. Other agencies are dropping the “plus-size” label on their models and starting to send women of all different sizes to castings. This all sounds simple on paper, but in reality, the fashion industry has been a malnourished bunch for a long time now. Changing that was not – and continues to not be – an easy feat. Even so, women like Ashley Graham and the rest of the ALDA spokespeople perpetually push back against society’s impossible standards of beauty.
PC: bellastyles.com