On Tuesday May 9th, a little after 6 pm, I met the great Ashley Graham. Ashley Graham hosted a book signing at the Tribeca Barnes and Noble. There were easily about a hundred people excitedly waiting for her arrival. The ages of women varied from girls in middle school to women in their 60’s. There was also a nice crowd of men. One man even brought Ashley Graham a dozen of red roses.
So there I was waiting in line. My hands were shaking, I was sweating, and of course I was in a light blue long-sleeve dress (cue pit stains). My arms were pretty tired at this point, as I had finals so I brought my laptop and various books for reference as I waited. I arrived at 2:30 and bought my book that came with a lovely canvas backpack from Swimsuits for All, a brand that Ashley Graham is affiliated with. I had decided that I was going to be a little extra and wear a shift dress with heels; after all, how many times would I be photographed with a supermodel? Oh and OF COURSE I had to bring Polaroid camera to document the moment. Hours ticked away and the crowd grew quieter and quieter as 6pm drew closer and closer. Given that Ms. Graham had a Good Morning America appearance in the morning, an appearance on The View and with Sports Illustrated in the afternoon, no one was all that surprised that she was running a little late. When she finally arrived around 6:10, to say that the crowd roared would be an understatement. Ms. Graham briefly stopped by the Barnes and Noble backdrop for the press to grab a picture and picked up the mic. She opened with thanking us all for coming out and expressed that she was a little afraid that no one would come (I cannot even imagine this happening). After a remark about needing some Drake music in the background, she was off signing books. I was roughly number 10 in line so I knew that my time was coming quickly. I had actually brought her my previous Odyssey article with a note attached because she inspired and fueled so much of that article and who I am today. When it was finally my turn, I handed off my phone to one of the Barnes and Noble employees and my Polaroid to the girl who stood behind me in line. I was terrified. As I walked up she exclaimed, “Hey cutie!” (I am literally giggling to myself as I write this because the memory alone makes me giddy). After she complimented my hair I shakily handed her my article and said that if she had the time, I would really appreciate if she read it, especially because her ANTM mantra of being your own brand really fed that article. She took it smiling and put it to the side and said of course and thank you. We started to take pictures and I warned her that I am really extra and need a Polaroid picture. She exclaimed, “I love Polaroids!” We posed for the pic and she told me thank you for coming. And that was it.
My hands were still shaking and I felt like I was outside of my own body. I called my mom and told her that had finished the signing but felt that I wasn’t ready to leave and needed to sit down. I posted my pictures on Instagram and then decided to observe her interactions with those further in line than me, to see if the long day had any effect on her.
As I sat and observed I heard a conversation to my right. There was a woman that I couldn't see asking one of the event workers if she could notify Ashley that she was there. Just as the worker asked her name she came into view, I blurted out "She's Marquita Pring! I know who you are!" She seemed genuinely surprised that I knew who she was let alone was that excited about it. I asked her for a picture and she obliged and even took a Polaroid with me. I went on to tell her how both she and Ashley Graham have been such role models for me. I mentioned how I regularly tell my mom that I want to look like them and Marquita responded, "You do look like us!" (Safe to say, I swooned!) We went on to chat about self acceptance and we got onto the topic about being multiracial and I referred her to my article and mentioned that Ashley Graham has a copy of it if she cannot find it (don't worry, I also sent it to her). After our brief chat she went on to talk to some of her friends/colleagues.Back to the woman of the hour, Ashley Graham. During her signing, one of the things that I admired most about her was her attentiveness and eye contact with every person that approached the table. Whether it was me forcing my article on her or a girl crying as she told her story, Ashley Graham was sure to treat the person with respect and understanding. Not only that, she gave every person the same amount of attention. Secondly, I really admired how much of a real person she was. She even had to adjust her strapless bra like the rest of us! I have to admit that my FAVORITE part that I observed was hearing her Midwest accent slip when she said "fabulous." I especially appreciated this as I am a Midwestern girl myself. Overall, Ms. Graham was everything I believed her to be and so much more. Her heart is so kind, and you felt her love for each and every person the second that she entered the room. As beautiful as she is on the outside, she is so much more on the inside, and I only had a short amount of time with her. This experience was really amazing for me as I gained so much of my confidence from her and Marquita Pring. These amazing women have not only changed my life but the lives of every person that I spoke to while in line. So thank you Ashley, Marquita, and all of the body positive models out there. Know that you are making a difference and that you mean so much to women everywhere. In the less than five minutes I met you both, it made an impact on how I see myself. And especially thank for signing and writing A New Model; I have almost finished it and it is wonderful! Be sure to purchase a copy if you haven't already!
Oh and Ashley and Marquita, let me know what you think of the articles. ;)
