Swimsuit

6 Bright Looks We’re Obsessed With From Paulina Porizkova’s Photo Shoot in Kenya

The supermodel has been featured in the SI Swimsuit Issue 10 times.

Cara O’Bleness

Paulina Porizkova

Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Tu Ysai in Kenya.

Paulina Porizkova is a true SI Swimsuit legend. The model made her debut with the franchise in 1983 after posing for photographer Walter Iooss Jr. in Jamaica. She returned to the magazine each year through ’86, traveling to Aruba, Australia and Bora Bora. Porizkova rounded out the decade with an additional feature in 1989.

In total, the supermodel has been featured in 10 SI Swimsuit Issues, spanning from the early ’80s to her most recent feature in Kenya in 2019. That year, Porizkova made history as the oldest model to appear in the magazine at 55-years-old. She was photographed by Yu Tsai.

While that record has since been surpassed by Kathy Jacobs (57) in 2021 and Maye Musk (74) last year, Porizkova continues to battle ageism. She regularly shares thoughtful insight on the topic on Instagram and published a book, No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful, last year. 

At the time of her ’19 photo shoot, the Czech-born model noted that “once we did the fittings and I got to the beach with the crew, muscle memory kicked in, and it felt just like 30 years ago.”

Four years after her feature in Kenya, below are six looks we still can’t get over.

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Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. Swimsuit by SKYE & staghorn.

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Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. Swimsuit by Frankies Bikinis.

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Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. Swimsuit by Monica Hansen Beachwear.

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Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. Swimsuit by Agua Bendita.

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Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. Swimsuit by TAVIK. Jacket by Agua Bendita.

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Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. Swimsuit by Andrea Iyameh.

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Published
Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.