Plus-size model to be featured in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue

Ashley Graham attends the US WEEKLY celebrates Fashion Week at KIA STYLE360 on Monday, Sept. 14, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Michael Zorn/Invision/AP)

When Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue hits newsstands next week, it will be a little curvier than usual.

Plus-size model Ashley Graham, 28, has been revealed as one of the publication's swimwear models, making 2016 the second year in a row that the magazine has chosen to feature a curvier model in its famous bikini-oriented issue.

Graham proudly took to Instagram to share the news with her one million followers, posting a photo of herself from the shoot in which she can be seen reclining on a sandy beach in a purple bikini with a pink trim.

Her accompanying text read: "It's official - I'm a @si_swimsuit model!! This is a dream come true. Thank you to everyone who stood up for curves- our voices were heard and together we can help me win Rookie of the Year. Stay tuned for voting instructions #beautybeyondsize #siswim"

The U.S. size 12 model has a history with the magazine, hitting the headlines back in 2015 after becoming one of the first curvy models to feature on its pages, albeit in an advertising campaign for the brand Swimsuits For All (she also features in the brand's Sports Illustrated campaign this year).

That same issue also featured U.S. size 10 model Robyn Lawley as a model, marking the first time the magazine had offered readers an alternative to its traditional focus on supermodel physiques.

The body-positive campaigner is also a vocal supporter of the Plus is Equal campaign, which calls for equal representation of the 67 per cent of U.S. women who are a size 14-34 in the media and fashion industry.

Graham is on something of a roll at the moment, having also been revealed this week as one of the stars of the latest Lane Bryant campaign "This Body."

The lingerie brand is known for its boundary-pushing advertising strategies, and the latest campaign, which sees the models display T-shirts featuring empowering slogans that aim to encourage women to celebrate their physique, is no different.