Swimsuit

8 Incredible Photos of Model Erin Heatherton in Body Paint

The former Victoria’s Secret Angel was featured in two SI Swimsuit Issues in a row.

Cara O’Bleness

Erin Heatherton

Erin Heatherton was photographed by Yu Tsai in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Erin Heatherton was featured in back-to-back SI Swimsuit Issues in 2015 and ’16. In her debut year, she posed for two features, including a typical beachside photo shoot and a unique body paint session with photographer Yu Tsai and makeup artist Joanne Gair in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

For her sophomore magazine appearance, Heatherton traveled to Zanzibar, where she worked with visual artist Ruven Afanador.

The former Victoria’s Secret Angel slept through part of the long body paint application process, but called her photo shoot “dramatic,” “wild” and “passionate.”

“This is probably the most intense artistry I’ve ever been involved in,” Heatherton said at the time. “I definitely feel like I have a suit on because it looks like I have a suit on. I’m so excited to get out there and shoot.”

Today, Heatherton is the cofounder of Pilates studio Resistance Chicago and is also a newlywed. She and her husband, Karol Kocemba, tied the knot earlier this year.

Below are eight of our favorite images captured at Heatherton’s body paint photo shoot in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

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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.