While Ashley Graham has become somewhat of a household name in fashion — you know her from her lingerie line with Addition Elle [1] and Forever 21's Spring ads [2] — Nicola Griffin and Philomena Kwao are newcomers to the scene. Their common thread? All three women star in the buzzy swimsuitsforall campaign [3] that will be featured in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. One glance at the photos of Graham, Griffin, and Kwao in their gold bikinis confirms they've got the confidence it takes to strive in fashion.
But we wanted to know how these ladies, who range in age, size, and ethnicity, broke boundaries, got signed with their agencies, and fought off their haters. From unbelievably sound style advice to their own personal rules when it comes to stripping down in front of a camera, the supermodels spilled all. Read on to find out why they're so much more than just the curvy girls in metallic swimsuits.
Nicola Griffin, 56
How the Fashion Industry Inspires Her: "I have gotten some women [on Instagram [4]] telling me they found [the swimsuitsforall campaign] inspirational. So I thought that was wonderful, really wonderful, that they felt they could look at me in a bikini and think, 'Well at that age, we could wear one too.' So they felt inspired. So that was lovely."
Why You Can Wear Any Silhouette You Like — at Any Age: "I think it's good quality . . . what I’ve just learned, good quality swimwear, they hold me in, they make me feel really good. The flimsy ones that my daughters wear wouldn't suit me, but if you find good quality, that's fantastic."
The First Ad She Ever Starred In: "It was for a white hair shampoo company. They made me the poster girl for this shampoo. So that was amazing. It was really big for my first job, it was a really big campaign. Got lucky, really. I really did."
Would She Go Nude?: "Well, no one’s asked me yet. When the Playboy call comes in, I'm gonna be there. Absolutely! One for the women . . . for my 60th birthday."
Philomena Kwao, 25
Career Advice She'd Give Her Younger Self: "I would just say, 'Relax and celebrate your individuality, your uniqueness. Try not to look like everyone else.' Because there's beauty in the things that, I guess at that time, I saw as flaws."
Why the Big-Name Brands Are Making a Difference: I'd like to congratulate different brands for showing different shapes, and honestly, if I'd had that when I was younger I don't think I would've felt so uneasy in my own swimwear. I would say again, celebrate your uniqueness. If we're all gonna stand in a line and we're all gonna wear the same swimsuit — we could even all be the same size, but our shapes are different, the way we carry ourselves is different, and there's beauty in every single person. There's beauty in the fact that we don't look the same. If we met each other and we looked the same, it would be quite boring."
Her First Fashion Job: It was for Cosmopolitan UK, and it was in Miami, and it was actually swim / beachwear. It wasn't bikinis, it was one-pieces and coverups and it was an incredible job. I was really nervous because it was my first job and it was such a big job. But the team was really amazing, and after that job, in my head I was like, 'I can do this. I can really do this.'"
Ashley Graham, 28
Why Being Named Sports Illustrated Rookie of the Year Is a Big 'Effin Deal: "It's so exciting. I mean, Sports Illustrated twice. It's like, 'Holy cow!' It doesn’t matter if you're in an ad or in the editorial, being in Sports Illustrated period is a career changer for any model [5]. We've seen it with the models throughout the decades. I think now what's happening is that we're in the curvy girl era, and you're going to see bodies like ours because this is the norm."
How She Gained Her Confidence: "Affirmations are huge. But also, I think something I would've told myself when I was younger is 'Stop taking it so seriously.' Your thighs touching is not going to kill you. You are still going to become a CEO of a company, honey. High school is not the end-all, be-all. That is just a small portion of your life."
How Her Crazy First Job Turned Into a Successful Career: I was 12 years old, maybe 13, and [I modeled] a see-through bra, and my mom came with me, and we were like, 'Thank you God for this job! If this is the only job I ever get, thank you!' My mom had to sign a waiver that they could airbrush my nipples out. Next thing you know, I get signed with an agency, and I modeled back and forth throughout high school. I moved here when I was 17, and boom. My mom and dad said, 'If you don't make it there, you gotta come back and go to college.' And honestly, I was such a terrible student that I was going to do whatever it took to not have to go back to Nebraska. So I just made it. I just worked hard."
The One Job Opportunity She'd Turn Down Now: "I don’t show nipple and 'bush' anymore . . . I just don't."
How She Broke Boundaries in Fashion: "I think that if you make up your own rules then you become the rebel and the disruptor. That's when your voice is heard, and that's when you can make an impact. That's when you really start to find out who you are in your career as well."