Paulina Porizkova Is Forever ‘Grateful’ for Her SI Swimsuit Experiences

The franchise legend has posed for the magazine 11 separate years.

Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit stalwart Paulina Porizkova made her mark with the brand in 1983, when she starred in the issue for the first time after posing for Walter Iooss Jr. in Jamaica. Immediately after, she landed two back-to-back covers in Aruba in ’84 and Australia in ’85. The 59-year-old author marked her 11th appearance in the magazine when she became an official brand “legend” and was captured by Yu Tsai alongside 26 fellow franchise icons for the special 60th anniversary issue.

“The first time I shot for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], I was 17. SI [Swimsuit] is what put me on the map—as a sort of pinup model. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have had that,” she shared while on location with the team earlier this year.

Today, the Czechoslovakia native, who was once the face of Estée Lauder, uses her platform to defy age stereotypes and encourage women to chase their dreams and be authentic at every stage of life.

“One of the many wonderful things that come with age for women is that we grow a lot more generous when we don’t have to compete in quite the same way anymore. I think we have our natural inclination to generosity. When I was younger, there was not a lot. There was a lot of looking up to women, but there was no real feeling of unity between young women,” the mom of two, who shares her sons Jonathan and Oliver with her late husband, Ric Ocase, said. “There is between older women; we can really group together, bear it together, and have each other’s backs. That said, there’s also plenty of women who can be incredibly cruel. Just be kind to each other by pointing out each other’s beautiful spots. You know, what inspires me from you.”

Over the years, Porizkova has traveled all over the globe with the team, from Bora Bora to St. Barts to Spain. The actress’s most recent feature, before this year’s in-studio shoot in Hollywood, Fla. was in the beautiful East African country of Kenya. The Arizona Dream and Her Alibi star flaunted her beauty, supermodel skills and slim, sculpted figure in tons of colorful swimwear looks and fun, eclectic accessories.

Below are some of our most favorite images from her 2019 feature with Yu Tsai.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated Paulina Porizkova

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated