For the latest issue of V, Chelsea Handler straps on her interview boots for a sit down with mod du moment, Ashley Graham. The two had a candid tête–à–tête, in true Handler fashion, and talked about everything from “divas” to being “boobie chicks,” but didn’t gloss over how Graham has rapidly become a champion for women everywhere. “I’ve been doing this now for 17 years and I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve spoken up about the label ‘plus-size.’ I don’t think women should be labeled at all. I think that it’s completely divisive,” she told Handler. “But, for whatever reason, I am the one that has been given the opportunity to be on so many covers and to have a voice. I don’t take that lightly and I think that being the voice and face for so many women that haven’t been represented— in fashion, or film, or TV—is encouraging, it’s amazing.”
Shot by Steven Klein and styled by Robbie Spencer, the feature includes some borderline NSFW images (see a sampling below—you can find the rest of them here) showing Graham rocking a variety of lingerie, sometimes pant-less. “I want to contribute to helping create a world where women can stand up for who they are and express who they want to be,” she said. “I want to be seen as a woman who helped shape an environment that allows women to be unafraid to take risks, because those are the kinds of women that you remember, those are the women you talk about for generations.” Pick up a copy of V105 or read the full feature here.
