Birthday Girl Christie Brinkley Once Gave This Fellow SI Swimsuit Legend Unforgettable Career Advice

The supermodel and entrepreneur, who made her brand debut in 1975, turns 72 today.

Christie Brinkley / Theo Wargo/Getty Images

If there’s one person we’d gladly take career advice from, it’s supermodel Christie Brinkley. The multi hyphenate, who turns 72 today, Feb. 2, made her SI Swimsuit debut in Mexico in 1975, then famously went on to land the cover of the magazine three years in a row (in Seychelles in ’79, the British Virgin Islands in 1980 and Florida in ’81).

Since her rookie year with the magazine, Brinkley has posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue on 11 different occasions. Throughout the years, her work has taken her to exotic locations like Brazil, Kenya and Turks and Caicos. Brinkley’s most recent brand feature took place in Hollywood, Fla., in 2024, when the Michigan native traveled to the Sunshine State to pose for Yu Tsai for the cover of the 60th anniversary issue.

Christie Brinkley was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Costarellos. Shoes by Stuart Weitzman. Jewelry by Ettika. / Yu Tsai /Sports Illustrated

In addition to SI Swimsuit, Brinkley has landed on hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career, including the likes of Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, People, Vogue, Glamour, Life and others. And in addition to her work in front of the camera, Brinkley is a successful entrepreneur. She founded her Prosecco brand, Bellissima, in 2016 and debuted a lifestyle and apparel brand, TWRHLL, in 2024.

Brinkley’s career has left a lasting impression not only on the world at large, but on the lives and careers of fellow SI Swimsuit models. When she served as a mentor during the brand’s 2019 open casting call, she gave fellow brand star Brooks Nader some words of wisdom that the Baton Rouge native will never forget.

Brooks Nader was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Versace. Shoes by Gianvito Rossi. Jewelry by Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

“[Brinkley said] ‘Show up with a smile on your face. Show up on time. Be nice to everybody. It’s not easy. You will be in two degree weather in a bikini. You’ll have bad conditions, you’ll be tired, you’ll be jet-lagged, but always have a smile on your face. Always work extremely hard and always be grateful,’” Nader told us in 2024. “I was like ‘that’s all I need.’ And, to this day [Brinkley] is never not smiling. She’s always on time. She’s always hardworking. And, that’s probably why—besides being drop dead gorgeous—she has gotten so far in her life and career. I took [that advice] with me forever.”

Kate Love, Christie Brinkley and Brooks Nader / Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images

Nader was discovered during the brand’s Swim Search open casting call in 2019. After being deemed that year’s winner, she’s posed for each annual issue since. The 28-year-old landed a cover spot in 2023 following her photo shoot in the Dominican Republic, and the next year, she joined Brinkley as an elite member of the SI Swimsuit legends club. Talk about a full-circle moment!

Get SI Swimsuit’s Free Newsletter. light. Sign Up. Swim Edit newsletter