Ashley Graham is Sports Illustrated’s first plus size model

Ashley Graham has become the first plus size model to grace the pages of Sports Illustrated.

The 27-year-old beauty – who is said to be a size 12 – has made her debut for the magazine in their annual swimsuit issue, showing off her curves in a tiny black string bikini.

The campaign pictures Ashley turning the heads of three male models as she strolls along a poolside in the skimpy swimwear and is accompanied by the hashtag #CurvesInBikinis, which is meant to empower voluptuous woman to show of their figures.

The brunette beauty said: ”I know my curves are sexy and I want everyone else to know that theirs are too.

”There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt.”

Ashley – who has also modelled for Glamour, Latina, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle in the past – has previously spoken of her desire to help women feel comfortable in their own skin and penned a letter to Net-A-Porter’s The Edit last month encouraging them to love and take care of their bodies no matter what size they are.

She wrote: ””I think that you can be healthy at any size and my goal is to help and educate women on that.

”It doesn’t matter if you’re a size 2 or 22 as long as you’re taking care of your body, working out, and telling yourself, ‘I love you’ instead of taking in the negativity of beauty standards.”