Editor-in-Chief, MJ Day, expresses how the women on the cover of this year’s issue are more similar than different in this way: “They’re also just like extraordinary, badass, really inspirational people that have forged different paths, but keep railing against society and limitations and they’re really creating their own rule book, which I love for them. They’re not really listening to anybody else about what they should or shouldn’t do. And I think that’s an important lesson for all of us.”
Whether it be the longevity of Martha Stewart’s career or the adversity felt and experienced by trans-women like Leyna Bloom, the models are way past dignified.
“There is no theme [to this year’s issue]—rather, there is a vision, a sentiment, a hope that women can live in a world where they feel no limitations, internally or externally,” says SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day.
NCAA athletes like Angel Reese and Olivia Dunne are recognizable faces for a reason, they are “unprecedented” in the words of Sports Illustrated editors at large.
Humans are wired to put their peers into categories, or “boxes”, but another spectacle of 2023 SI, Ellie Thumann, has expanded that occurrence through her connection to mental health advocacy and not limiting herself to Youtube, a platform of which she has made for herself since she was twelve-years-old. Working with Marc Jacobs, Levi’s, Kate Spade, Reebok, and Coach, Sports Illustrated is yet another vessel to affirm her ripe career.
Day unapologetically delivers the message that backs the legitimacy of the magazine. The Editor-in-Chief of ÜP comments, “You can tell just how obsessed women are with the magazine and the honor it is to be asked to be a part of a historical, moving entertainment source.”
What would a release be without a party? Those behind-the-scenes and in front of the lens took over the East coast from New York City to Florida. Brooks Nader, Olivia Dunne, and Yumi Nu rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange with all the models around prepped for the weekend of red carpets, a concert by Kim Petras, a Melissa Wood-Tepperberg– 2023 Rookie- lead workout, “Swimsuit Island”, and an outdoor VIP wrap party that no one can forget.
Swimsuit Island allowed the women a range of options from glam services from Dibs Beauty to priming their day’s outfit in Knix swimsuits, Monica Hansen beachwear, and Vince Camuto accessories.
Watching the models unfold their stories with each cover is where Sports Illustrated excels greater than the year before, continuously.
Mady Dewey, creator behind Discord and founder of Herd Social, speaks on the underlying importance of what this moment in her career means, “It was one of the most special days of my life. It represents the power of letting go of fear and failure, and going after the dreams that ignite your soul. It shows years of work on self-love and body acceptance. It’s a reminder of the beauty in being multidimensional, embracing all of the sides of who you are and letting them shine brighter together.”
Brooks Nader took home the front cover of this year’s physical magazine copy; MJ Day and fellow models surprised her on the set of a photoshoot for Electric Picks, a current collaborator with SI. The Louisiana native did not fall short of the best reaction as she spread out on the floor, crying her eyes out, and Facetiming her mother, Holland Greene Nader, to celebrate the news.
That’s a wrap for the eventful reveal of this year’s Sports Illustrated issue.