Celebrate Martha Stewart’s Birthday by Reliving Her Stunning SI Swimsuit Shoots

Monday, Aug. 3, marks a milestone birthday for the iconic Martha Stewart, as the brand mogul turns 85—and we’re celebrating the star with a look back at her daring duo of SI Swimsuit shoots!

A pioneer in her industry, Stewart remains a true tastemaker and trendsetter, reaching millions of fans over the years with her award-winning lifestyle and design content. To list just a handful of her many accolades, the multihyphenate is a best-selling author, an Emmy Award-winning host and the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. In 2023, she added “SI Swimsuit cover star” to that illustrious résumé when she was featured as one of four front-page stars on the annual issue alongside Megan Fox, Kim Petras and Brooks Nader.

Photographed by Ruven Afanador in the Dominican Republic, the model made history with the magazine, posing for her rookie feature at 81 years old. Of her debut, Stewart said, “When I heard that I was actually going to be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good. I’m going to be the oldest person, I think, ever on a cover of Sports Illustrated.’ And I don’t think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic and that I’d better look really good because I want other women to feel that they could also be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.”

Then, just one year later, Stewart reunited with the magazine in Hollywood, Fla., where she was included in the 2024 class of SI Swimsuit legends for the special 60th Anniversary issue. In the Sunshine State, she posed for photographer Yu Tsai in a glistening gold gown by designer Jenny Packham for a shoot that was the definition of glamour alongside 26 fellow brand staples, including Tyra Banks, Kate Upton, Christie Brinkley, Molly Sims and many more.

So, to celebrate Stewart’s special day, we’re highlighting a few of our favorite photos from the birthday girl’s daring duo of SI Swimsuit shoots! Scroll on to see more of the stylish star.

Relive Martha Stewart’s stunning SI Swimsuit shoots

Martha Stewart poses in the water of the Dominican Republic. — Martha Stewart was photographed by Ruven Afanador in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Body Glove. Sunglasses by Gucci provided by Moda Operandi. Necklace by Cicada. | Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Martha Stewart was photographed by Ruven Afanador in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Isa Boulder. Hat by Eric Javits. Bracelets and earrings by An | Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

In short, we’re wishing this SI Swimsuit legend a very happy birthday! To view Stewart’s full 2023 cover shoot in the Dominican Republic, click here, and to view her 2024 60th Anniversary legends shoot, click here.

Relive Martha Stewart’s stunning SI Swimsuit shoots

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