NYFW plus-size model says 'inspiring' supermodel Ashley Graham 'isn't that big'

08 September 2023 , 21:50

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Sam Paige has spoken of how exciting it was to see Ashley Graham's rise to fame (Image: sampaigepix/Instagram)

A New York Fashion Week plus-size model has said that Ashley Graham is a total inspiration to so many, but alluded to her no longer being a true representation of curvy bodies.

Sam Page from Miami, Florida, is an esteemed freelance plus-size model and influencer. With more than a quarter of a million followers on Instagram and three million on TikTok, the curvaceous inspires masses of people on a daily basis with her high-energy videos and confidence-filled snaps.

Sitting down for an exclusive chat with The Mirror US ahead of taking to the runway at NYFW with Krissy King The Label, the blonde bombshell got candid about being a plus-size model and the struggles she and many others face with being cast for shows.

Ashley Graham has been a pioneer in the world of curvy fashion (Getty Images)

Sam Paige is an esteemed model and influencer who is making a name for herself online and in the fashion industry (sampaigepix/Instagram)

While talking about the very few brands that are inclusive of plus-size people, Sam touched on how Precious Lee is currently the "it girl" in the world of fashion. "She's kind of like the 'it girl' right now, replacing Ashley Graham, who just their kids or whatever, wasn't modeling for the past few years," Sam said.

Later in our exclusive chat, the freelance model spoke more about the iconic star when she spoke about people's perception of plus-size modelling. She said: "If you look at Ashley Graham, definitely someone you have to look up to because of the strides that she has made, but she's not even that big when you look at her now.

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"I think she's a size 12/14, on the smaller side, and it's crazy to think that that's what we thought was plus size six or seven years ago, I guess even 10 years ago when she was like in her prime, of like every campaign was her, she's not that big and sizes go way, way bigger than she does."

Sam added: "It was so exciting to see. Also, she has a flat stomach. I think that stomachs are something that should definitely be represented."

Speaking about brands that aren't very inclusive, Sam said that they don't put any effort into employing plus size models "at all", urging that if the brands showed up to castings with "an open mind" and clothing to fit anyone, "that would definitely help".

Mollie Quirk