Ashley Graham's Italian Vogue Shoot Was Photoshop-Free And Emphasised Self-Love

For #TheCelebrationIssue, Italian Vogue included photoshop-free images in a lingerie feature focusing on body positive activist and model Ashley Graham.

A photoshop free editorial may not seem revolutionary - it shouldn’t even be a point of conversation in the era of #nofilter - but sadly, for many magazines showing an unedited woman’s body is a no-no.

Italian Vogue has always been synonymous with haute couture and luxury fashion, so this is an example of a high end fashion magazine breaking the rules.

The publication has a history of using fashion stories as a platform to discuss broader issues. In 2008, it ran the iconic Black Issue, exclusively featuring women of colour, which contributed mightily to the dialogue about diversity in the fashion industry.

Italian Vogue hashtagged ”#VogueLovesCurves” in the spirit of self love.

“Ashley pushes #bodypositivism to another level,” the magazine proclaimed.

“It’s not just about acceptance: it’s about loving who you are and being loved, feeling so comfortable with yourself that you skillfully conduct the sophisticated game of attraction, going beyond convention, sizes, categories, and measurements imposed by modern society.

“The rules of this game are self-esteem, confidence and imagination. It’s not just acceptance, but a form of love for yourself, which is most important.”

Graham, one of the world’s highest paid models is known for speaking about adoring your body and having confidence in yourself, especially to young women.

An example of this is Graham telling ITV’s Lorraine: “I tell young girls all the time,” she said. “I’m like, first of all, your ‘likes’ is not your worth. You worth has to come from within.”

Graham appears to be more than happy with the Vogue Italia editorial as she shared every photograph with her 5.8 million and counting Instagram followers.

Here’s hoping this is a sign of further changes to come and a range of bodies continue to be shared to a mainstream audience; those that are “plus size” but palatable as Graham’s body and those whose curves are currently not so accepted, in photography or by societies’ standards.