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Ashley Graham, Barbie, And Changing Beauty Standards

It’s a huge honour for the famous plus size model to get her own Barbie doll!

Plus size model Ashley Graham is one of the latest in a long line of inspiring women who’ve had the honour of having their own Barbie doll. Read on to learn more about Graham, why she deserves a custom Barbie, and what it says about our society today!

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RELATED: Supermodel Ashley Graham is pregnant with her first child

The Body Positivity Movement

Before we get into Ashley Graham, we have to talk about what she represents – a shift in what’s considered ‘beautiful’. Traditionally, only skinny women or women with a trim hourglass shape were considered ‘sexy’. Curvy women or women with different body types were not considered attractive or even healthy by most standards.

Enter body positivity, a movement which aims to celebrate beauty in all its forms. As a result, you can see plus size models on the runway or in ads. But most importantly, women everywhere are learning to accept and love their bodies as they are.

Girls lined up against a grey background
(Credit: Getty)
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Who Is Ashley Graham?

Ashley Graham is arguably the most famous plus size model in the world. Her modelling career started out with fashion editorials, ad campaigns, and a few runway shows.

At the time, her 2010 Lane Bryant commercial caused controversy because she was a bigger-bust lady modelling lingerie – the ad was banned for being ‘too racy’ despite Victoria’s Secret and other brands still being able to run similar ads using ‘straight size’ women. 

This brought a few issues to light, like the fact that society naturally sexualises larger breasts (and therefore puts more arbitrary rules on them) and that the average woman doesn’t get to see her size represented in the fashion industry at all.

In 2016, Graham made history (and changed the face of beauty) by becoming the first plus size woman to ever appear on a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover. Since then, Graham’s career exploded. Besides bagging campaigns or shows left and right, Graham also collaborated with Pretty Little Thing and Elle to design plus size clothing for the two retailers.

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She’s even transitioned from model to television personality, to even becoming a judge on America’s Next Top Model. Graham finally got to attend the Met Gala for the first time in 2017. Graham was actually invited to the 2016 event, but no designer wanted to dress her because of her size.

Ashley Graham also has a strong social media presence with more than 9.2 million followers on Instagram.

How Did Ashley Graham Get Her Own Barbie Doll?

Since 2015, Mattel has been producing an annual ‘Sheroes’ Barbie doll line to honour women who are positive role models for girls. Past ‘honourees’ include Frida Kahlo, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, and Amelia Earheart.

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Graham praised the move towards diverse, body-positive dolls, especially since the Barbie brand has been accused of pushing impossible beauty standards on impressionable young girls for decades. Soon after, Mattel approached Graham with an offer she couldn’t refuse: they wanted to make a Barbie doll that looks just like her.

Graham, of course, accepted the offer. But she had a few non-negotiables: the doll couldn’t have a thigh gap (just like the real Ashley), and the doll should have cellulite. Mattel happily complied with the first request, but designing plastic to look like cellulite was a tough task that didn’t work out.

In the end, Graham was still happy with the doll’s full figure, round stomach, and powerful thighs. The doll was revealed at Glamour’s Woman of the Year Awards in 2018.

What Does Ashley Graham’s Barbie Doll Look Like?

Ashley Graham’s Barbie wears a denim jacket, sparkly bodycon dress, and boots. This is actually an outfit that Graham has worn before! Graham said that she normally doesn’t cover up her body (she does lingerie modelling, after all), but she wanted her Barbie to just be her fun and fashionable self.

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Where Can You Buy An Ashley Graham Barbie?

Unfortunately for girls and women everywhere, the Ashley Graham Barbie was not mass-produced for sale. It was designed and created merely as a way to honour how Graham changed the way we see beauty, so she has the only doll. However, there is currently a petition on Change.org for Mattel to make Graham’s Barbie commercially available – fingers crossed!

Other People Who Have Their Own Barbie Dolls

  • Bindi Irwin
  • Beyonce
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  • Cher
  • Audrey Hepburn
  • Misty Copeland
  • Zendaya

A More Inclusive Barbie

Barbie was and still is a huge part of a lot of young girls’ lives, representing the ‘dream’ – your dream house, your dream boyfriend, your dream life, and most of all, your dream body. 

This encouraged young girls to internalise impossible beauty standards at a young age, so Ashley Graham’s plus size Barbie doll is a welcome move in the right direction. If dolls had more diverse body types, perhaps girls would learn to love their bodies a lot sooner!

RELATED: 10 Things You Need To Know About Ashley Graham’s Husband, Justin Ervin

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