Plus-size model Ashley Graham will be gracing the pages of Sports Illustrated in its annual swimsuit issue.

“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,” said the confident clothes hanger.

Graham, a size 16, will be taking part in an ad campaign by plus-size swimwear retailer Swimsuits for All, which claims to celebrate the era of the ‘Curvy Girl’ and help women feel sexier in their swimsuits. “Tastes and body types change over time and curves have never been more ‘in’,” Moshe Laniado, CEO and President of Swimsuits for All explained.

“There is no better way to celebrate and show off than by donning a bikini. When the Curves in Bikinis ad in Sports Illustrated is released, the world will be watching and they’ll like what they see.”

Graham’s appearance in the magazine is another step forward for plus-size models. Calvin Klein recently selected Myla Dalbesio, a size 10, for an ad campaign showcasing the company’s lingerie line. And Target recently premiered its first plus-size clothing line, Ava & Viv, earlier this year, choosing three plus-size bloggers and style personalities as campaign models.

Graham has been outspoken about the need for visibility of plus-size women. “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.”

Sports Illustrated remained neutral about the significance of Graham’s inclusion. “We’ve been accepting ads with women in swimsuits for 51 years,” the magazine said in a statement. “Nothing’s changed.”