In Her Own Words: SI Swimsuit Models Celebrate More Than Just Their Bodies in Candid Project

In Her Own Words is a continuation and evolution of the essence of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. It is a platform that allows the voice, the strength and the passion of these women to be expressed in the rawest form…on the naked body…with all the artistic and creative control left to them. With a stripped down studio and team of all females, we handed over the control to the women who are our brand. We believed in, supported and encouraged them to become a canvas and share their truth.

Taylor Ballantyne

Paulina Porizkova: "In a way, it’s more than being naked. It’s not just that you’re nude, but it’s also 'you’re nude and you show me the way you want me to see you.' It’s even more naked than naked. I wanted to say that I’m not ashamed of my body and you shouldn’t be ashamed of your body, no matter what age you are. We all have our own truths. We all want to live according to our own truths. We want to be true to ourselves so truth is what matters more than anything." 

Taylor Ballantyne

Robyn Lawley: "My daughter is growing up in this world right now and I want her to love who she is because it is so important. If she ever came to me and said, 'I don’t feel comfortable in my body.', I don’t know what I would do. I’d die on the inside. We are women and we are human. We have stretch marks. We have rolls. We have cellulite. That’s all part of our bodies. We become so obsessed with our exterior message; we give no thoughts to what’s in our heads. I just want all those girls out there to know they are so beautiful and so special."

Taylor Ballantyne

Sailor Brinkley Cook: "It was really special to be a part of this and get to express myself in a very raw, uncensored way. Having these words written all over your naked body and having that next level of exposure — I felt sexy obviously but I felt more emotional and it helped me accept myself." 

In addition to baring all and using the SI Swimsuit platform to share their voices, models Sailor and Robyn joined the crew, taking behind-the-scenes photos and capturing video (respectively), of the intimate shoot. Sailor, a photography student at Parsons School of Design, and Robyn, an established videographer, were thrilled to stand both in front of AND behind the camera for this unique and inspiring project.

To meet the other women who are a part of this one-of-a-kind photo shoot, be sure to come back on Tuesday for the official launch of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2018.

Watch the full 'In Her Own Words" video and see more of your favorite Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models on SI TV. Start your seven-day free trial now on Amazon Channels.