| Net Worth | $10,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ashley Graham |
| Date of Birth/Age | October 30, 1987 (age 31) |
| Source of wealth | Supermodel, Body Activist |
| Height | 5’9” |
| Country of origin | U.S |
| State/City of origin | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| Last Updated | 2019 |
What is Ashley Grahame’s Net Worth?
Ashley Grahame’s net worth is $10 million.
How Did Ashley Grahame Make Her Money?
She is a model and the owner of a swimwear company. Grahame rose to enormous fame and success as one of the first plus-size models to appear on the covers of high-profile fashion magazines.
She was a major part of the push to make the fashion world more accepting of women who were larger than traditional models.
As a plus-size model, Grahame was known for her outspoken support of the size acceptance and body-positivity movements.
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She has also said that she dislikes the term “plus-size” because it boxes women into a term that has negative connotations.
In 2016, Grahame was the first size-16 model to be chosen for the coveted spot on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
Her appearance on this annual celebration of female beauty was considered a major milestone in the size acceptance movement.
Grahame is a highly successful model whose career is still going strong. She achieved success despite years of being told that she was too fat for fashion and would never be a runway model or cover girl.
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Ashley Grahame’s Modeling Career
In 2000, Grahame was spotted by a talent scout for a modeling agency while she was shopping in an Omaha, Nebraska, mall. She was only 13 at the time.
She signed with the agency and began modeling all over the U.S., Japan and Europe while she was still in high school. Grahame said that her plan was to finish high school in Lincoln and then move to New York to take her modeling career to the next level.
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In 2001, she moved to New York and signed with Wilhelmina Models. In 2003, she switched to Ford Models. At this point, her career was solid.
She was frequently photographed for teen magazines and catalogs but was told that because of her size, she should not aspire to do more.
In 2007, her career started to catch attention when she was profiled in a Vogue magazine article about her success as a plus-size model.
In 2009, she was on the cover of a Glamour magazine special edition about beauty in all sizes.
Ashley Graham net worth reached $ 10,000,000 in 2019
Controversial Commercial
In 2010, Grahame came to national attention when she appeared in a TV commercial for plus-size retailer Lane Bryant.
The ad was considered too controversial and was banned in many outlets. This actually gave even more publicity to both the company and to Grahame.
The ban led to massive media coverage of the commercial and of Grahame, with many observers pointing out that the ad was no more explicit than those for Victoria’s Secret or other lingerie companies.
Grahame was interviewed on several outlets including Entertainment Tonight and the New York Post. She also appeared as a guest on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno.
In an interview with her hometown paper about the media frenzy over the commercial, Grahame said, “Of course, it’s a complete double standard.
It’s prejudiced. It’s sad that we actually have to talk about it, that it has to be this big of a deal.”
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Covers and Contracts
After that, major modeling contracts came pouring in. Grahame acquired contracts with Addition Elle, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom’s, Liz Claiborne, Simply Be, Macy’s and Target.
Grahame was in several campaigns for Levi’s jeans.
Grahame was on two Lane Bryant billboards and modeled at New York Fashion Week. In 2012, she was named Model of the Year by Full-Figured Fashion Week.
In 2014, Grahame was on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar and Elle/Quebec. In 2015, the online retailer Swimsuits for All used her Sports Illustrated photos in their annual CurvesInBikinis marketing campaign.
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Another Controversy
In 2016, Grahame and Lane Bryant were in the headlines again with a commercial that showed Grahame topless.
The ad, which also showed a model breastfeeding, was also banned from the airwaves in several locations.
In 2017, Grahame was named as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People.” Mattel manufactured and sold an Ashley Grahame-lookalike Barbie doll.
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Ashley Grahame’s Design Career
In 2013, Grahame was asked to design a plus-size lingerie line for Addition Elle. In 2016, she launched her swimsuit line in partnership with Swimsuits for All.
The company had previously featured swimsuits other plus-size designers such as popular plus-size blogger Gabi Fresh who designed the wildly popular FatKini.
TV, Pageants and Other Appearances
Grahame has been the backstage host for several beauty pageants including Miss USA and Miss Universe. She has been a judge on the reality competition show America’s Next Top Model.
In 2017, she published the book A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty and Power Really Look Like. She has hosted two seasons of American Beauty Star.
In 2018, Grahame was again featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
A Model Mogul?
Grahame has said that she considers fellow model Kathy Ireland her role model as far as business. Ireland appeared in Sports Illustrated several times and built an enormously successful design and marketing company. Grahame said she also aspires to be a “model turned mogul.”
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Favorite Quotes From Ashley Grahame
“I definitely think that my body has changed many peoples’ lives. I’ve used my body as a tool to talk about taboo subjects, such as cellulite or being insecure about lower belly fat, and also [how to] talk life into your body and have an affirmation kind of conversation with yourself. And I know the lives that have been changed: Young girls and even women my age who have written me and said, ‘I never loved the skin that I was in until I heard your journey’.”
“We are all real women. I can’t stand it when I read comments that say, ‘Finally, a real woman.’ No matter your size, shape or amount of cellulite, we are in this together.”
Ashley Grahame Success Tips
- “A lot of girls ask me how to become a model. And I always wonder, why do you want to be a model? Why not strive to be the fashion editor or the director of photography? Become Anna Wintour. Become a designer and then you can tell models what to do. Strive for something better.”
- “I have worked very hard and faced a lot of prejudice in this industry because of my size. This is not an overnight success you see here. I am enjoying this moment I’m having, but remember this. You can have an ‘It’ moment, but you have to know how to move beyond that moment. You have to know how to create something and be part of something that is bigger than yourself.”
