Swimsuit

6 Powerful Black-and-White Images of Cover Model Olivia Culpo

The former Miss Universe participated in a unique and impactful studio project in 2018.

Cara O’Bleness

Olivia Culpo

Olivia Culpo was photographed by Taylor Ballantyne in a Brooklyn studio.

Olivia Culpo made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2018 with a powerful special project. She posed for photographer Taylor Ballantyne in a Brooklyn studio for the franchise’s “In Her Own Words” series, allowing the model to use her body as a canvas.

Culpo would return to the publication each year through 2021. After her initial SI Swimsuit photo shoot, Culpo posed for Josie Clough in Australia the following year. The model landed the magazine’s cover in ’20 after being photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali. Her most recent feature took place in Florida with visual artist Ben Watts.

Today, the former Miss Universe is also a reality TV star. The Culpo Sisters on TLC follows the model and her sisters, Aurora and Sophia, as they tackle family issues, life and love in Los Angeles.

Culpo called the “In Her Own Words” photo shoot “an incredible experience” and noted that she was nervous to be both physically and emotionally vulnerable in order to participate in the project.

The black-and-white images captured Culpo with words and phrases like “love transforms,” “pain shapes” and “stand in your strength” written across her body.

“All of the words and phrases I chose for my body are a reflection of my fears, insecurities, and struggles,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “It took intense self-reflection which can be challenging but I knew if I could be completely candid then more women might realize we are much more alike than we think. We struggle in so many of the same ways.”

Below are six incredibly powerful images from Culpo’s 2018 studio photo shoot with Ballantyne.

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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.