In 2016, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ashley Graham. She had simply graced the duvet of Sports activities Illustrated Swimsuit for the primary time, which was additionally the primary time the legendary publication featured a plus-size mannequin entrance and heart. On the time, it was exhausting to know if this long-overdue transfer was a one-time gimmick to seize headlines and promote points or a sign of precise change. In our dialog, Graham was assured that it was the latter—and for all intents and functions, she was proper.
Guided largely by the refreshing imaginative and prescient of editor in chief MJ Day, SI Swimsuit has spent the previous eight years shedding a few of its sunburnt pores and skin. Though it has nonetheless featured what makes the Swimsuit problem the Swimsuit problem—beautiful ladies in swimsuits—it grew to become noticeably extra inclusive. After a long time seemingly dictated by the male gaze—and one which squinted fairly narrowly—SI Swimsuit has confirmed its dedication to normalizing a broader idea of magnificence and intercourse enchantment. Along with plus-size fashions, the journal welcomed better racial variety, fashions with disabilities, fashions with circumstances like alopecia and vitiligo, transgender models, and girls who graduated highschool within the twentieth century. It was simply final yr that SI Swimsuit put its oldest-ever mannequin, Martha Stewart at age 81, on a canopy; the earlier report holder was Maye Musk at 74 in 2022; earlier than that, the oldest SI Swimsuit mannequin was 57-year-old Kathy Jacobs in 2021, and in 2019, Tyra Banks held the title of oldest cowl mannequin at age 45.
Individuals have all the time had opinions, each damaging and constructive, about who will get forged in SI Swimsuit (I imply, simply take a look at any social media publish about this journal, ever). And contemplating that the majority SI Swimsuit fashions have been properly beneath 35 years outdated for a lot of the journal’s existence, that applies to the casting of older ladies, too, as anticipated. SI Swimsuit has frequently leaned into these expectations. Take its newest cowl as an ideal instance.
This week, SI Swimsuit is celebrating its sixtieth version, an apparent alternative to shine a lightweight on numerous fashions who’ve been featured within the journal over time—fashions who would, in fact, be numerous completely different ages. Some featured within the glamorous group cowl shot are current and youthful, some are current and older, and a few are veterans who have been younger after they first posed however are actually middle-aged or seniors. In truth, of the 26 ladies on the duvet, greater than a 3rd are over 40 years outdated, and of that group, all however one (43-year-old Sue Fowl) are aged 50 to 82: Tyra Banks, Molly Sims, Roshumba Williams, Paulina Porizkova, Christie Brinkley, Gayle King, Maye Musk, and Martha Stewart.
