Q&A With SI Swimsuit Legend Kate Love

This year marks her eleventh feature in the SI Swimsuit Issue.

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Donna Karen. Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. Jewelry by Melinda Maria and Charlie Lapson. / 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.

Kate Love started her journey with SI Swimsuit a little over a decade ago. The model has posed for 11 different issues of the annual magazine over the years, including a cover feature in 2020. This year, she returns to the issue for the 60th anniversary Legends photo shoot, which brought her to Hollywood, Fla.

What does being an SI Swimsuit Legend mean to you?

“It feels kind of crazy. I still can’t believe that I was chosen to be in the issue and then got the call back every year for a decade. Being a swimsuit model and now returning as a Legend for an 11th year has been such a big part of my life. It’s cool and exciting to know that some people look up to me the way I looked up to other women.”

Describe yourself in three words.

“Positive, kind and warm.”

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Donna Karen. Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. Jewelry by Melinda Maria and Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

View Kate Love’s 2024 Legends photo gallery here.

What does personal empowerment mean to you?

“Having self-worth and self-confidence—and believing that what you dream of can come true.”

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Donna Karen. Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. Jewelry by Melinda Maria and Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

What can women do to better empower each other?

“If we create a society where encouraging and being positive toward other women and men is seen as a strength, then people will follow along. It sort of seems like we’re in a weird place where there’s a lot of tearing each other down. I don’t know why. If we switched this and became encouraging and positive to others, I wonder what we could accomplish.”

What are you most excited about in your life right now?

“Figuring out the balance between being a mom, a wife, a dog mom, working and maintaining a social life. It’s my biggest project right now, trying to balance it all.”