Ashley Graham is Maxim’s 2023 Hot 100 cover star and the world’s sexiest woman. No one is more deserving. The brand announced the news on April 17 with a stunning snap and a sweet message.
Ashley also known as the ‘the queen of curves’ is described by Maxim “as gorgeous as she is inspirational, whether she’s posing for glamorous photoshoots as the World’s Sexiest Woman or making head-spinning red carpet appearances.”
The Nebraska native is best known for her groundbreaking appearance on the cover of American Vogue in 2017, when she became the first plus-size model to do so. She landed her SI Swimsuit cover as a rookie the previous year after being photographed by James Macari in Turks and Caicos.
Graham was discovered at the age of 12 at a shopping mall in her home state and the rest is history. The 35-year-old said the best part about modeling, however, is the platform it has given her to advocate for change and diversity in the industry.
“We can look at everybody’s shapes and sizes, gender, ethnicity and age as part of who they are; it doesn’t have to be a negative or a positive,” she told Maxim. “It should be something that’s easily embraced, and we don’t need to be having these conversations all the time. Our bodies are always changing, and they’re always evolving. I’ve been using my own body as a tool to be able to talk about these feelings.”
Graham, who shares three young boys with her husband, Justin Ervin, posted her own behind the scenes snaps of the magazine photo shoot.
The IG carousel included several incredible pics of her in various lingerie pieces, a corporate-esque pantsuit, a dramatic red floral gown and nothing but a large white mesh embroidered cloth.
“@maximmag Hot 100, thank you for having me again!??❤️?,” she captioned the post she shared with her 20.3 million
Fellow SI Swimsuit models Emily Ratajkowski, Barbara Palvin, Anitta, Beyoncé, Olivia Ponton, Ellie Thumann, Cindy Kimberly, Paige Spiranac, Anastasia Ashley and Izabel Goulart were also named to the Hot 100 list.