No, this isn’t a home and lifestyle magazine cover. It’s Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit issue, and if anything, it’s an indication of the multifaceted name Martha Stewart has carved for herself.
At 81, the entrepreneur, television personality, domestic goddess, and America’s first female self-made billionaire is now among the cover stars of the 2023 edition, making her the oldest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model yet. Previously, Maye Musk took the title for her appearance in the 2022 issue.
Stewart was photographed by Ruven Afanador in the Dominican Republic, “where her natural beauty was allowed to shine,” explains SI Lifestyle writer Cara O’Bleness, and was styled in a white swimsuit from Monday Swimwear, with an orange coverup from Torso Creations. The celebrity appears in 10 other bathing suits within the issue.
She is joined by fellow 2023 SI Swimsuit cover stars, actor Megan Fox, singer Kim Petras, and model Brooks Nader.
“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,” quips SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day. “But the absence of a theme is not to say that [these women] don’t share certain common traits. They’re constantly evolving.”
“Usually, I’m motivated by pay,” Stewart admits in the accompanying video. “But this time I was motivated by showing people that a woman my age can still look good, feel good, be good.”
Besides being a wildly successful business mogul, Stewart is also a proud mother and grandmother.
“Never in her life has she let her circumstances dictate her outcome,” says Day. “She’s changed with the times—always one step ahead, it seems—to build a wide-reaching business empire.”
Reacting to the feature on Instagram, Stewart writes: “I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things, no matter what stage of life you are in.”