'Plus-sized' supermodel, activist and a Glamour Woman of the Year (USA) Ashley Graham has had a Barbie doll made in her image by toy makers Mattel. Pretty cool, huh?

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The stunning model told Huffington Post that if there had been a Barbie doll her size when she was younger she would have grown up thinking her size was "normal" (her words).

And she thinks it's great that Mattel have extended their range to include dolls of all shapes and sizes.

"Young girls now get to grow up seeing that their bodies are normal, which I think is so empowering and encouraging to the younger generation," she revealed.

Describing the process of how the doll was put together, Ashley explained:

“All we did was take 360 degree photos of my body to send to them, and afterward we fleshed out some details. The colour of my hair, a few details on my face like beauty marks and full eyebrows.

"The number one prerequisite, though, was that her thighs touched. I was like, ‘Guys, we can make this Barbie, but if her thighs don’t touch, she’s not authentic.’”

Ashley's doll is one of a number of 'Sheroes' dolls Mattel have made - others include a film director, 5-year-old fashion designer and cookbook author.

And in January this year the company launched 3 new Barbies with varying body types.

While there are no plans to sell Ashley's doll just yet, Mattel haven't ruled it out if they sense the demand.

So... watch this space (no thigh gap though ?)

What do you think?

Did you have Barbies when your were little? Have you/will you buy them for your kids?

What do you think of the Ashley doll? Would you be more tempted to buy this than a regular Barbie if it were in the shops?

Tell us in the comments below or over on Facebook

Images: Ashley Graham on Instagram/Mattel

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Authors

Tara BreathnachContent Editor and Social Media Producer

Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015

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