Love U Magazine Power Issue, 2017 | Page 21

“Helping others this way has helped me. I started it for myself almost, but it’s grown so big. It’s like a family. There’s no negativity. It’s a really fun ride.” When asked about the state of fashion for the plus-size consumer, she admits there is still a long way to go. “I think there’s still a stigma with society about what a plus-size female is supposed to look like. There’s so much stereotyping in society and preconceived notions are hard to break.” There was a lot of talk about how Ashley Graham was promoting obesity and how she shouldn’t be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine because she doesn’t promote a healthy lifestyle. Ashley Graham is constantly in the gym. She is a great example of a fit, plus-size person. She shows that you can work out and still be curvy and still be healthy. My main focus right now is to show that plus size people aren’t ‘disabled’ or somehow held back from doing what anyone else does.”