Q&A With SI Swimsuit Legend Christie Brinkley

The longtime brand model returns for this year’s 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

Turning 60 has never looked so good. To celebrate the big milestone in style, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit called upon 27 “Legends”—women of all ages, sizes, tribes and backgrounds—who epitomize trailblazing influence and game-changing impact. 

From supermodel OGs who made their first splash on the magazine’s glossy pages in the 1970s and ’80s to stars newer to the SI Swimsuit sisterhood—the Legends symbolize diversity, inclusivity, empowerment and self-love.  

“The Legends hold the power to represent the collective us,” SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day says. “Each one has played a significant role in the brand’s last 10 years, holding important conversations that have helped shift societal perceptions and led to incredible change for women.” 

The Legends had plenty to say in their one-on-one interviews, held during a three-day SI Swimsuit event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., where photo shoots for the 60th anniversary issue were underway amidst a flurry of glam teams, wardrobe stylists and veteran fashion lensmen. The Legends were unfiltered, funny, wise, compassionate, profound, and at times, searingly honest—proving that a woman’s inner beauty is her most important superpower of all.   

See more from the Legends photo shoot here.

Christie Brinkley is a supermodel, actress and entrepreneur. She made her SI Swimsuit debut in 1975 and landed the magazine’s cover three years in a row (in 1979, ’80 and ’81). This year, she returned for the 60th anniversary Legends photo shoot.

What does being an SI Swimsuit Legend mean to you?

“Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has been a part of my life for so long. I mean, they’re celebrating 60 years this year, and I think I’ve been with them for, like, 40 of them. I don’t think they’re 60, they’re lying about their age—they’ve got to be older than that!”

What can women do to better empower each other?

“I just think we all need to be easier on each other. We all need to love each other a whole lot more. It can start with a simple thing. Sometimes it takes some courage to smile at somebody; they might not smile back, but so what? Smile more; open the door. All these things are so simple, but we need it to happen now. We need to find common ground. We need to make each other smile on that common ground.”

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

What excites you most about your life right now?

“Well, I’m really excited. I’m starting a clothing line. It’s called Tower Hill, after my house, but it’s spelled TWR HLL—the name given by the people who originally built it in 1891. Finally, somebody older than me! [laughs] It’s a gambrel-style, shingled house with a beautiful folly tower that sort of looks like a castle tower. 

“In my 50 years of modeling, I’ve dragged back all kinds of things, from all over the world—my house is like a curiosity. When the team came to my house, they were so inspired that they said, we’ve got to name the brand after this incredible house. So yes, I’m working on that and we’re launching in May. 

“I also have my wines—my Bellissima—which I’m very proud of because we are better for you and better for the planet. All my wines—and I now have 10 different varieties, and we are expanding into another category—are made with 100% organic grapes, which is so much better for our planet and our bodies. We’re also certified vegan because people don’t understand that a lot of wines are filtered through animal parts. We now have two zero-sugar sparkling wines and five still. I’m very proud of my line; we’re becoming available pretty much across the States and in several places around the world.”