Swimsuit

5 Impactful Images of Model Myla Dalbesio in Bodypaint

The four-time SI Swimsuit star posed in nothing but painted-on words for the 2018 issue.

Cara O’Bleness

Myla Dalbesio

Myla Dalbesio was photographed by Taylor Ballantyne in a New York studio.

The year she made her SI Swimsuit debut, Myla Dalbesio traveled to Curaçao with photographer Ben Watts for the 2017 issue. The feature was so impressive that it earned the 37-year-old Pennsylvania native two different spreads in the magazine the following year. 

In 2018, Dalbesio traveled to Aruba for another beachside photo shoot, and also participated in a unique black-and-white studio feature called “In Her Own Words.” For the latter, she worked with visual artist Taylor Ballantyne in a New York studio, and posed in nothing but bodypaint. 

Phrases such as “built to carry the weight” and “strength within” were painted across her body, along with words like “gentle” and “free.”

“I am proud to show that you can be strong, smart and sexy,” Dalbesio wrote in a self-penned essay for SI Swimsuit during her rookie year. “I am proud to defy outdated and incorrect expectations of what feminists look and act like. I can be serious about women’s rights and flaunt my curves in a swimsuit (or out of one) at the same time. I hope that by doing so, I can help other women that look like me (and even those that don’t) begin to appreciate and love their bodies more. And I want women to know that feminism, as defined by the dictionary, means ‘the belief that men and women should have equal opportunities.’”

In honor of her moving work with the brand, we’re throwing it back to a few stunning images from Dalbesio’s in-studio bodypaint feature that speak to the above message.

Myla Dalbesio
Myla Dalbesio
Myla Dalbesio
Myla Dalbesio
Myla Dalbesio
Published
Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.