Russian-American Model Anne V Is a Knockout in Cubs Body Paint

Anne V was photographed by James Macari in Seychelles.James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Anne V made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2005 and made 10 consecutive appearances in the magazine. While her travels with the franchise took her everywhere from the Bahamas and Jamaica to Russia and Turkey, one of the model’s most notable features was her body paint feature from her very first year posing for the publication. 

She participated in a piece titled “Uniform Appeal,” in which body paint artist Joanne Gair artfully painted a Cubs jersey onto her body. The end result was an iconic image of Anne V rocking an open blue-and-white striped jersey and a pair of red boyshorts.

Bodypaint artist Joanne Gair artfully covered Anne V’s body in Cubs gear.

Joanne Gair/Sports Illustrated

A few years later, the model opened up to Esquire about her desire to do another body paint feature.

“It’s such a special thing … And it’s really damn hard to do, because you get painted for like 14 hours. And you can’t lie down, so you kind of have to be in a kneeling position, and you can’t really sit. It’s so uncomfortable,” she told the outlet of the unique experience. “You can’t tell it’s body paint anymore. It’s getting more and more complicated. You’re literally walking around butt-naked.”

She would go on to reunite with Gair for a second body paint feature with the franchise in the Bahamas in 2013.

In addition to her work with SI Swimsuit, the model has graced the covers of notable publications like Vogue, Glamour and Elle. She has appeared in several Maroon 5 music videos alongside lead singer and ex-boyfriend Adam Levine.

Today, the Russian-American model is a mom who continues to work in the industry while also working as a yoga teacher. She leads weekly classes at RA MA Institute in New York.

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