Ashley Graham already wore Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Gucci, and Tom Ford on the cover of Marie Claire's 2026 Motherhood Issue. But for MC's Power Moms event on April 30, Graham traded runway pulls for a glossy column gown from Egyptian designer Marmar Halim.
New York City's Ambassadors Clubhouse welcomed some of the country's most influential—and fashion-forward—moms last night, with Graham leading the pack. The cover star warmed up the red carpet in Marmar Halim's $3,065 halter-neck gown, featuring teeny-tiny, horizontal pleats. The plissé technique started around her neck; shined brighter around her bodice; and remained skintight until the heel-grazing hem. To complement its sheen, Graham accessorized with a Zales diamond tennis bracelet, matching hoop earrings, and her engagement ring. The model's pristine French pedicure also deserved an honorable mention.
Plenty of sleek shift dresses RSVP'd "yes" to the Power Moms celebration. Marie Claire's own editor-in-chief, Nikki Ogunnaike, matched Graham's energy in a slinky slip from Maygel Coronel. The mock-neck bodice fit Ogunnaike like a glove, before ruching flared out the velvet, indigo-tinted skirt ever-so-slightly. A striking tennis bracelet and engagement ring were also Ogunnaike's sparklers of choice.
Elana Meyers Taylor, 2026 Power Moms honoree and Olympic bobsledding champion, also got the column memo. She followed Ogunnaike's lead in a velvet, dark-blue dress, which stretched straight down to her stiletto swap. Taylor coordinated her gold medal from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan to statement, metallic yellow sneakers. An on-the-carpet interview with Summer House star Lindsay Hubbard revealed glitter was ingrained in her maxi dress's garnish.
Marie Claire's Motherhood Issue dropped just hours earlier on April 30. Behind the glamorous, Chanel-clad cover, Graham shared the "raw realities of motherhood" with entertainment director and soon-to-be mom Neha Prakash. "It's the worst pain you'll ever feel in your life," she told Prakash of the delivery experience. "If you tell yourself you can do it, you can do it…All these women did it before."
Beyond motherhood, Graham also reflected on her revolutionary role in the fashion industry, including her plus-size line with JCPenny: “It’s incredibly important to continue to advocate for women of all shapes, all sizes, and all backgrounds to have clothes that fit…to have people who don’t have confidence, have confidence in themselves.”
She added on the red carpet, "I created my JCPenny collection for women with curves only and it's because there's not enough available fashion for women out there." Talk about a Power Mom.
