Wake Forest University’s HerCampus chapter hosted a watch party and tuned into The New York Times “Get with the Times” livestream featuring supermodel Ashely Graham. These “Get with the Times” live broadcasts are marketed toward college students in order to get university students talking about and interested in important debates and timely issues. The topic of this “Get with The Times” event focused on “Reshaping Beauty” with Ashley Graham. Aside from the volume of buttons, merch and catered chipotle, the watch party attendees and HerCampus members took away three very valuable lessons from Ashley Graham regarding body positivity, entrepreneurial strength and female empowerment.
When an opportunity presents itself, take it and run with it
Ashely Graham had the unique chance to promote her platform and personal brand message when her nation-wide campaign for Lane Bryant Lingerie was considered too “risky” to air on television. Graham used that moment of rejection to launch her campaign for body positivity and inclusion as fashion should be a medium for all women, no matter their size to feel confident.
If you have an idea, don’t ask for permission
Graham approached her modeling agency about starting her own lingerie line, to create and produce lingerie that highlights women of all body types, her agency tabled that idea. However, Graham did not let that adversity halt or hinder her drive.
“Don’t wait for somebody else to make a move for you, go out, make the move yourself,” advised Graham. “Tell people what you’re doing. Tell people what you want to do.”
Graham started talking about her own lingerie line and taking the steps to build her brand without the initial support of her management team. Her personal drive lead to the creation of her plus sized lingerie line and her swimsuit line, “Swimsuits for All.”
Beauty is unique and individual
An audience member asked Graham how she defines beauty, in which Graham responded that “Beauty is personal. It’s diverse. It’s inclusive. It truly is from within… Fashion is finally, slowly, catching up, that we all come in different shapes, sizes, and colors.”
This message of body inclusion and positivity resonated with current issues that are reoccurring on college campuses across America. According to the most recent World Economic Forum, people have become increasingly unhappy and that unhappiness has been attributed in some form to the exponential expansion of social media. It has become increasingly difficult to avoid comparing oneself to our peers and colleagues.
However, members of the fashion community such as Ashley Graham have started a movement to spread body positivity, inclusion and strength that will hopefully empower our generation and the next generation of women to push ourselves to accomplish more than we ever anticipated.