Earlier this week, a swimwear line called Swimsuits for All announced they would feature plus-size model Ashley Graham in their ad in the Sport's Illustrated swimsuit edition.
Swimsuits for all
The ad got a lot of attention, because it marks the first time a curvy girl will appear in the annual issue in which girls usually look like this:
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated
Robyn Lawley, a 25-year-old Australian native, will appear in the magazine's "Rookies" section, sporting a bikini of her own design.
Sport's Illustrated
James Macari/Sports Illustrated
I'm non-plussed by use of "plus-size" here. MT @eonline: SI's first official plus-size model http://t.co/ZQYpMWdJtD pic.twitter.com/HwXvY144WE
- Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) February 5, 2015
Rough living in a world where the perfection that is Robyn Lawley is considered plus size pic.twitter.com/2OTjMr1W8R
- Christy Fox (@christyecf) February 5, 2015
Can I be stoked that Robyn Lawley is appearing in SI while being furious that this is what we consider "plus size" pic.twitter.com/Tsap9lQGH7
- Molly Mulshine (@mollymulshine) February 5, 2015
If Robyn Lawley is a plus size model, then I'm a baby rhinoceros
- Deja Knight (@deja_knight) January 20, 2015
For her part, Lawley tells Time: "I don't know if I consider myself as a plus-size model or not. I just consider myself a model because I'm trying to help women in general accept their bodies."
Bennett Raglin/WireImage via Getty Images
Regardless, Lawley, who is represented by Wilhelmina Models, is happy to be included in this year's Sport's Illustrated swimsuit edition.
She tells Time: "I never thought that this would happen to me, so this is a milestone. When I started my career 10 years ago, I had to painfully go to castings and people would look at you and say, 'What the hell are you doing here?'… I want to be there for the regular girls who are my size."
The Sport's Illustrated swimsuit edition, featuring model Hannah Davis on the cover, hits newsstands Feb.9.