Ashley Graham has another milestone to celebrate. Already the first size 16 model to land a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, she’s now the only plus-size cover star to front the American edition of Maxim. But this achievement isn’t without its share of controversy.
Critics are pointing out that Graham looks markedly thinner on the Maxim cover than she does in other photo shoots. And Photoshop is to blame, according to commenters on her Instagram page. Her fans are outraged as they believe airbrushing goes against everything Graham stands for.
Gilles Bensimon, the famed photographer who lensed the Maxim shoot, responded to a commenter on Ashley’s page, saying, “I shoot [sic] this image of Ashley, and we don’t slimmer [sic] her at all!!! Sorry because you sound so convinced @rogasmic.”
The jury’s still out on whether Maxim manipulated Graham’s photos. But the message is clear: if you’re going to hire a plus-size model, never Photoshop her to appear thinner. As one fan explained in Graham’s comments, it completely defeats the purpose.
See more images of the gorgeous model from inside the issue here.
[via Daily Mail]
