I'm guessing 1987 or 1988, because I recognize the shot from a wall calendar I had when I was in junior high.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
One-Piece Wednesday: Kathy Ireland, 198-something
I can't remember what year this pic is from.
I'm guessing 1987 or 1988, because I recognize the shot from a wall calendar I had when I was in junior high.
I'm guessing 1987 or 1988, because I recognize the shot from a wall calendar I had when I was in junior high.
Friday, April 22, 2011
One-Hit Wonder: Dominique Piek, 2010
I suppose I’m a little ethnocentric, because I keep forgetting that other nations have their own editions of Sports Illustrated, and that those editions have their own swimsuit issues. Dominique Piek, 2010 rookie, did not come out of nowhere. She was the cover girl for SI South Africa in 2007:
Bar Refaeli and Dominique’s fellow Sayth Iffrican model Genevieve Morton have also appeared.
I have to say, Dominique was the most surprising 2010 rookie not to return. I don’t think she had the makings of one of the Immortals, like an Elle or a Paulina. But she could have been a good, solid, go-to presence, like a Lujan Fernandez or an Ingrid Seynhaeve.
She rocked a yellow bikini, that’s for sure.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
One-Hit Wonder: Julie Ordon, 2010
I would have readily welcomed back this intense Swiss model… even though New York magazine’s online fashion bio skips right over her SI appearance. (2009: Signs with Elite. Mar 2010: Featured on the cover of French Marie Claire.)
Her feral mane can look blonde:
…or brunette:
…or red:
…depending on the angle and the light. And man, does she rock those jewel tones SI brought to India.
Apparently, she gave birth in August of 2009, which means she must have been pregnant during her photo shoot for the 2010 issue.
And, she posed for French Playboy back in 2007, giving us this rather kinky photo:
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
One-Piece Wednesday: The 2010 Rookies
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
One-Hit Wonder: Zoe Duchesne, 2010
I have to say, I’m not surprised Zoe didn’t return. She didn’t seem like a great fit.
Her face wavers from smartass biker chick to impassive mannequin.
When she does smile, I don’t really buy it.
This is her best shot from the issue, in my opinion:
…and that’s because she summons Daniella Sarahyba.
She seems like she’d be a better fit for a pouty lingerie photo shoot, and sure enough, that’s what she seems to do for the most part.
Much as was the case with Jessica Hart, I find her non-SI pictures more alluring.
Her face wavers from smartass biker chick to impassive mannequin.
When she does smile, I don’t really buy it.
This is her best shot from the issue, in my opinion:
…and that’s because she summons Daniella Sarahyba.She seems like she’d be a better fit for a pouty lingerie photo shoot, and sure enough, that’s what she seems to do for the most part.
Much as was the case with Jessica Hart, I find her non-SI pictures more alluring.
Monday, April 18, 2011
One-Hit Wonder: Sonia Dara, 2010
2010 Rookie Week continues with one of the rookies who didn’t return: the beautiful Sonia Dara.
I would have liked to have seen Sonia again. Look at that slender, taffy-like body.
And I believe she is the only Indian-American model ever to appear in the swimsuit issue. I do wonder if it’s a celebration of her culture or an exercise in stereotyping—or both—that she shot in India.
That dilemma doesn’t come into play when Daniella shoots in Brazil, or Bar shoots in Israel, or Elle shoots in Australia, or Tori shoots in Hawaii.
But Sonia is the least Caucasian model on that list, and she found herself surrounded by women in headscarves. It seems like it might easily drift into the realm of “othering.” (More on that sometime in the near future… I’m reading a book that I plan to start discussing here soon.)
It’s a dilemma she herself seems to recognize, according to this interview in the Wall Street Journal:
During your shoot in Rajasthan, you posed with some local women who cover their heads, as is local tradition. Did you feel it made them uncomfortable to pose with you in a bikini?
To be completely honest, I was the one who felt the most uneasy because I thought I was putting the women in a potentially uncomfortable situation. At first glance, the concept of a Hindu girl in Sports Illustrated might seem contradictory. With that in mind, I posed as elegantly as possible, in order to never undermine my Hindu upbringing. I really hope this is made clear in my photos.
(Also of note in that interview: She was in pre-med at Harvard, and switched to econ? I love seeing proof that models aren’t ditzes.)
In any case, maybe she’s not gone forever. I’d like to see her again, maybe in some run-of-the-mill Caribbean beach shots, to prove that she wasn’t just there to add some local exoticness.
I would have liked to have seen Sonia again. Look at that slender, taffy-like body.And I believe she is the only Indian-American model ever to appear in the swimsuit issue. I do wonder if it’s a celebration of her culture or an exercise in stereotyping—or both—that she shot in India.
That dilemma doesn’t come into play when Daniella shoots in Brazil, or Bar shoots in Israel, or Elle shoots in Australia, or Tori shoots in Hawaii.But Sonia is the least Caucasian model on that list, and she found herself surrounded by women in headscarves. It seems like it might easily drift into the realm of “othering.” (More on that sometime in the near future… I’m reading a book that I plan to start discussing here soon.)
It’s a dilemma she herself seems to recognize, according to this interview in the Wall Street Journal:During your shoot in Rajasthan, you posed with some local women who cover their heads, as is local tradition. Did you feel it made them uncomfortable to pose with you in a bikini?
To be completely honest, I was the one who felt the most uneasy because I thought I was putting the women in a potentially uncomfortable situation. At first glance, the concept of a Hindu girl in Sports Illustrated might seem contradictory. With that in mind, I posed as elegantly as possible, in order to never undermine my Hindu upbringing. I really hope this is made clear in my photos.
(Also of note in that interview: She was in pre-med at Harvard, and switched to econ? I love seeing proof that models aren’t ditzes.)
In any case, maybe she’s not gone forever. I’d like to see her again, maybe in some run-of-the-mill Caribbean beach shots, to prove that she wasn’t just there to add some local exoticness.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
That’s the Way the Rookie Crumbles
Out of six swimsuit issue rookies in 2010, only two stuck around for 2011. Genevieve Morton and Chrissy Teigen returned this year, albeit a bit more glammed up in each case.
Genevieve Morton Good for her! She’s a South African kewpie doll whose best pics last year were in this shiny silver bikini:
…even though she cause a bit of controversy by standing near a couple swastikas in one of the shots:
SI ran a series of short videos in which the models declared what they felt were their best body parts. The answers ranged from freckles (Anne V) to feet (Hilary Rhoda) to collarbones (Sonia Dara) to eyes (Cintia Dicker, Jessica White, Jessica Gomes, Esti Ginzburg).
Genevieve? “I like my boobs the best.”
Very well. I’ll allow it.
Her pics this year are a little more sultry.
But she retains that “voluptuous cherub” look.
Chrissy Teigen No surprise here. She seems to have become instant SI royalty, having found her way into the magazine thanks in part to her pal Brooklyn Decker.
She’s getting ready to say something hilarious.
Her Twitter feed is the best of all the models’; she’s genuinely funny in a snide, bitter way. Her Golden Globes commentary from earlier this year:
…was almost as awesome as her golden globes:
(Cheap joke, yes, but I think Chrissy would approve.)
Speaking of, when asked to name her best body part, Chrissy replied, “I like my little boobs.” Genevieve and Chrissy are the only two from 2010 to mention those particular body parts. The lesson for future rookies: talk about your boobs, and you’ll be invited back.
By the way, Chrissy in 2011 has given us yet another example of a model wearing a top but not a bottom, bringing the total to four.
…even though she cause a bit of controversy by standing near a couple swastikas in one of the shots:
SI ran a series of short videos in which the models declared what they felt were their best body parts. The answers ranged from freckles (Anne V) to feet (Hilary Rhoda) to collarbones (Sonia Dara) to eyes (Cintia Dicker, Jessica White, Jessica Gomes, Esti Ginzburg).Genevieve? “I like my boobs the best.”
Her pics this year are a little more sultry.
But she retains that “voluptuous cherub” look.
Her Twitter feed is the best of all the models’; she’s genuinely funny in a snide, bitter way. Her Golden Globes commentary from earlier this year:
…was almost as awesome as her golden globes:
(Cheap joke, yes, but I think Chrissy would approve.)Speaking of, when asked to name her best body part, Chrissy replied, “I like my little boobs.” Genevieve and Chrissy are the only two from 2010 to mention those particular body parts. The lesson for future rookies: talk about your boobs, and you’ll be invited back.
By the way, Chrissy in 2011 has given us yet another example of a model wearing a top but not a bottom, bringing the total to four.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Stacey Williams Makes Today a Little Less Taxing
I’ve declared my love of Stacey Williams before in these pages. I thought I’d celebrate her birthday with a little more rapture.
This was the photo that struck me to the core in 1992:
It’s rare for a two-page swimsuit spread to be so face-centric, but Stacey’s face—with its hypnotic brown eyes, its girlishly turned-up nose, and its frame of inky, wavy hair—earned it.
1992 also managed to convince me that Stacey’s beauty was esoteric, and that I was one of the few who could be truly mesmerized by her. Let the others have their Kathy Irelands! Stacey appealed to my connoisseurship, my deep and complex tastes in feminine beauty!
It was nonsense, of course. Everyone loved her, and I was far from the only person whose eye she caught. She even hosted a couple of the video specials.
Nevertheless, she was key in my appreciation of the swimsuit issue. Elle got me on board, Stacey got me thinking.
Happy 43rd, Stacey Williams.
This was the photo that struck me to the core in 1992:
It’s rare for a two-page swimsuit spread to be so face-centric, but Stacey’s face—with its hypnotic brown eyes, its girlishly turned-up nose, and its frame of inky, wavy hair—earned it.
1992 also managed to convince me that Stacey’s beauty was esoteric, and that I was one of the few who could be truly mesmerized by her. Let the others have their Kathy Irelands! Stacey appealed to my connoisseurship, my deep and complex tastes in feminine beauty!
It was nonsense, of course. Everyone loved her, and I was far from the only person whose eye she caught. She even hosted a couple of the video specials.
Nevertheless, she was key in my appreciation of the swimsuit issue. Elle got me on board, Stacey got me thinking.
Happy 43rd, Stacey Williams.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Another Hot Girls List
A site called Guyism.com has put together a list of the 100 Sexiest Fashion Models Working Today. Unlike the AskMen.com list from a few months ago, this one has a healthy helping of SI girls.
From Dicker to Decker, from Alyssa to Marisa, from Jessica to Jessica to Jessica to Jessica, nearly a quarter of the list is representing the swimsuit issue (including four out of five 2011 rookies).
#93: Eva Herzigova 
The only model on this list who’s older than I am (though only by a few months).
#87: Esti Ginzburg
#86: Cintia Dicker
#80: Jessica Perez 
The newly minted 2012 rookie makes a nice appearance for herself.
#76: Ana Beatriz Barros
#75: Jessica Hart
#70: Raica Oliveira 
Fresh off a nice Ultimo lingerie campaign, if you’re into that sort of thing.
#65: Jessica Gomes
#58: Anne Vyalitsyna 
(AKA Anne V.)
#56: Petra Nemcova
#50: Shannan Click
#49: Alyssa Miller
#41: Hilary Rhoda
#40: Izabel Goulart
#33: Isabeli Fontana 
TRIVIA: Shares a July 4 birthday with fellow list-member Alyssa Miller.
#30: Jessica White
#29: Heidi Klum
#24: Kate Upton 
This girl is a phenomenon. Barring some bizarre flameout, she’ll be in SI for years. (I bet she’ll be on the cover by the time she’s 22.)
#20: Kim Cloutier
#9: Selita Ebanks 
She ranked in the top ten on the AskMen list too.
#8: Irina Shayk
#6: Bar Refaeli
#5: Brooklyn Decker
And the highest-ranking SI girl on the list?
#2: Marisa Miller 
From Dicker to Decker, from Alyssa to Marisa, from Jessica to Jessica to Jessica to Jessica, nearly a quarter of the list is representing the swimsuit issue (including four out of five 2011 rookies).
#87: Esti Ginzburg
#86: Cintia Dicker
#76: Ana Beatriz Barros
#75: Jessica Hart
#65: Jessica Gomes
#56: Petra Nemcova
#50: Shannan Click
#49: Alyssa Miller
#41: Hilary Rhoda
#40: Izabel Goulart
#30: Jessica White
#29: Heidi Klum
#20: Kim Cloutier
#8: Irina Shayk
#6: Bar Refaeli
#5: Brooklyn Decker
And the highest-ranking SI girl on the list?
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