By 2012, when she was 25 years old, Graham had already been thinking about creating a lingerie line for her body shape. One day, while waiting on a photo-shoot set for the Canadian retailer Addition Elle, she spontaneously pitched the company’s vice president for marketing, who was sitting nearby. The director asked her for details on how her designs would be different from other lines out there.

“I lifted up my shirt,” says Graham. While pointing to different parts of the bra she was wearing that day, she explained where she would change the lace, trim, and fit. “It was literally one of those moments where I knew if I wouldn’t have asked, I would never have known.” Graham has been selling her line with Addition Elle since 2013.

When Graham created her #IAmSizeSexy hashtag, she knew she wanted it to become an empowering tool for women to use online. Curvy women already participate in vibrant communities online. Women propagate positive hashtags like #EffYourBeautyStandards and #HonorMyCurves through Twitter and Instagram, to stir discussion around curvy women and create a support network. “Whatever sort of hashtag you identify with, it’s incredibly political,” says Sarah Conley, a blogger and social media consultant. These hashtags, Conley says, help give women of all body shapes a collective voice to tell the fashion and media industries that they want to be respected and represented.

“The word ‘size’ had to be in it,” says Graham. “It’s brought a community together, especially for curvy women, who are supporting each other, lifting each other up. It’s actually bringing a sense of feeling that you belong on social media, because you get to find your community when you have that hashtag.”

Economics Of Scale

Curvy women have been marginalized in the fashion industry for decades. Established lingerie brands have traditionally not carried their lines in larger sizes because they perceive a low demand for a process that would require a high investment in design and manufacturing to accommodate more variable body shapes. Market research firm Plunkett Research estimates 67% of women wear size 14 to 34, which the fashion world categorizes as plus-sized. Yet only 9% of the $190 billion spent annually on clothes is spent on plus-size clothes. All of which means that the demand is there, and retailers have an opportunity to better serve the plus-size market.

Some lingerie lines are helping women build online communities to celebrate their bodies. A brand called Curvy Couture runs the campaign “Curvy Girl of the Month,” wherein a different customer features prominently on the company’s website each month. Another brand, Jewel Toned, which is not exclusively for curvy women, runs a similar campaign on its Instagram feed and blog and calls their featured customers “bombshells.” Aerie launched its #AerieREAL campaign last year, showing women with untouched photos in its ads.

“It’s such a body-conscious, form-fitting, emotional process, both positive and negative, for women to buy intimate apparel,” says Rachael McCrary, founder of Jewel Toned, a lingerie and shapewear company. McCrary believes lingerie brands should feel some responsibility for caring for their customers’ concerns.

Graham, meanwhile, released her holiday line this month at Addition Elle and at Nordstrom in the United States. Last year her line grossed $1.6 million. And Graham expects to surpass that figure this year. “I personally believe that the increase in sales proudly shows that our message of body acceptance and fashion equality is definitely being heard,” she says.

Graham’s show at New York Fashion Week was not only a way for her to show off her designs. It was a forum for celebrating women’s bodies. Graham radiated confidence as she modeled her designs alongside her show’s models. And when she posted photos of those moments on Instagram, they added to the positive movement that she has helped to inspire.

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Harry Styles’ rumoured girlfriend Georgia Fowler shows off incredible figure …

Harry Styles is rumoured to be dating New Zealand-born model Georgia Fowler – and she is an absolute stunner.

The 23-year-old has stripped off for a steamy lingerie campaign, showing off her killer figure amid rumours she’s dating the crooner.

Snaps show the brunette beauty reveal washboard abs and a glowing tan in everything from baby pink bras to risky lace underwear.

Proving she’s a natural in front of the cameras, the star pulls a series of seductive poses, even risking all in a tiny G-string in one photo.

It comes as Harry reportedly whisked Georgia away on a romantic spa date.

The star wanted to spend some time with his gorgeous rumoured love interest away from “prying eyes”.

According to The Sun, the curly-haired heartthrob chose the popular Babington House in Somerset, England, with the pair staying in a room that costs £400 a night.

They first sparked rumours of a romance with a cosy game of Scrabble.

A source said: “Harry wanted to spend some quality time with Georgia away from prying eyes.

“They kept themselves to themselves and mostly spent their time in their room and garden, ordering food to the room instead of eating in the restaurant.

“They had a lovely, relaxing stay before Harry goes back for the last stint of 1D live shows and she heads to the States for modelling commitments.”

Rumours first emerged about Hazza and 23-year-old stunner Georgia when she posted a Snapchat video of the singer playing Scrabble in his dressing gown .

An insider said at the time: “Harry is very careful about who he spends time with, so Georgia must be very special for him to allow her to share their moment with her followers.”

In the video, Harry can be seen leaning over a Scrabble board in his nightwear as he puts his letters down and laughs to himself.

The pair clearly decided not to have a rock and roll night and stayed in drinking tea and playing games.

Stunning Georgia, whose Instagram is full of photoshoot pics, has modelled for Chanel and is signed to IMG Models.

Harry has not gone public with a girl since superstar Taylor Swift and was last linked to Victoria’s Secret beauty Nadine Leopold.

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