Ashley Graham’s latest bikini snap packs major sass.
The curvy model shared a photo on Instagram Wednesday of herself wearing a black string bikini while posing on a bed. With her tongue out and both hands crafting peace signs, the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl seems to be enjoying her moment of relaxation.
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As always, fans flocked to Graham’s post to share a slew of fire, heart and clapping emojis, praising the model for her candid snaps and serious sex appeal.
“Omg you give me confidence,” one use wrote, while another added, “Love the hip crease!”
One follower deemed Graham as “the Marilyn Monroe of our age”, referring to both of the women’s fame as curvy icons in the fashion, beauty and modeling industries.
Though fans are clearly loving this look on the brunette beauty, Graham’s latest cover shoot with New York Magazine garnered a different kind of attention online.
In a pinup-style photoshoot, the model wore only a black lace top with striking makeup and cascade earrings. She posed with her bare booty in the air, leading fans to criticize the sexually suggestive nature of the photo.
“You shouldn’t bend over for anyone – you’re better [than] that,” said one.
“No hate here but the pose is really suggestive. Doesn’t promote respect like you do towards women,” another wrote.
Though some didn’t agree with Graham’s poses or fashion statement, the shoot’s corresponding story solidifies the fact that the model was trying to show off her sex appeal in the photos, and for a solid reason.
Though she admits one goal is to prove that curvy women of all sizes can be beautiful, she says she’s really out to show the sex appeal all women carry without the need for “dowdy clothes, dowdy lingerie.”
She says one of the best emails she’s ever received was “a husband who was thanking me because his wife finally felt comfortable enough in lingerie to have sex with the lights on.”
So for Graham, these sexy photos and the compliments she receives are only validation that she’s getting closer to reaching her goal: to make all women feel sexy and confident in their own bodies.