Women reveal stretch marks and cellulite in nude photos shared with body positive model Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham has been praised for sharing beautiful images of women’s bodies, soft folds, cellulite and all, in an inspiring body positive Instagram post.
The model and mum-of-one posted nine candid pictures of naked women embracing their bodies in an all their natural beauty.
From a breastfeeding mother, to a woman proudly showing off her glitter-enhanced stretch marks, the post was a celebration of the female form in various shape and sizes.
In the accompanying caption, Graham, applauded the women’s body confidence and thanked them for giving her inspiration to keep working on her own self-image.
Read more: Ashley Graham praised for showing unshaven armpit hair in naked photo
“Just wanted to say thank you for tagging me in all your beautiful pictures,” she wrote in the accompanying caption.
“It’s not always easy to love every inch of your body. I’ve learned it’s a daily practice, not just a finish line,” she continued.
“Seeing all your beauty and confidence in these inspires me more than you’ll ever know and looking at them is one of my favorite parts of Instagram! I’m just so grateful for this community. We are stronger together!”
After Graham shared the empowering post, fans flocked to the comments section to thank the model for continuing to promote positivity.
“These photographs are beautiful. A real perspective of a woman, lady! Mother! Daughter! Sister! Friend! A marvel for the work to continue,” one person wrote. “I've learned as I've hit the 40 mark I am happier with my look and body than when I was 23 just married with two children. Peace and love.”
“Every shape and size of woman is absolutely stunning,” another agreed. “As a curvy girl myself I love all the lumps and bumps we all have! Love to each and every one of you.”
“I find these bodies to be so much more beautiful than what I see in popular media,” commented another. “There’s life here... stretch marks, folds, rolls, real beautiful bodies. It’s beautiful, it’s sexy, it’s real.”
Others thanked the star and body positive advocate for helping to fuel confidence. “You are spreading both love and confidence around the world,” one wrote.
“Thank you for sharing real bodies,” another added.
Watch: Ashley Graham talks mum shamers and learning to love her post-partum body.
Earlier this month, Graham also championed self-love and body positivity as she shared a nude video to Instagram.
In the footage, the 33-year-old supermodel pulled a series of clever poses to protect her modesty, while rocking a fresh-faced make-up look.
“I love me, not everyday, but most! Anyways.... Body-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody-ody,” she captioned the post.
Read more: Ashley Graham pumps breast milk backstage at fashion week
It isn’t the first time the model has tried to normalise women’s bodies in all their diverse forms.
Last year, Graham shared a series of photos, as part of a swimsuit collaboration with the brand Swimsuits for All, proudly displaying the postpartum stretch marks on her stomach.
Speaking of her decision not to have the marks edited out, Graham explained she wanted people to see them, as they are part of her story.
“There’s always a question of what do you want us to retouch, and what do you want us to take out? And I said, ‘Nothing,’ except a clamp holding up the DIY backdrop,” she told People.
“I want everybody to know genuinely… I want people to see who I am because everybody has a story.
“A lot of women I speak to have image issues, body issues around confidence. I want them to understand that we all have things that society has told us to cover up, and why do we need to do that? So here I am with mine out and about and proud.”
The photos went down well with Graham’s Instagram followers, with several fans thanking her for “normalising stretch marks” and keeping things “real”.
Read more: Ashley Graham poses in maternity pants in body positive Instagram post
Having given birth to her son, Isaac, in 2020, the model has kept fans updated about the realities of motherhood and how it has impacted her body.
Opening up about everything from breastfeeding to her post-birth healing journey, the 33-year-old has been praised for helping other mums have the confidence to embrace their post-pregnancy bodies.
In a video, shared to Instagram, the model cupped her hands in the shape of a heart over the stretch marks on her stomach.
To give the silvery marks even more love, the model captioned the photo with every coloured heart on her emoji keyboard.
