Q&A With SI Swimsuit Legend Martha Stewart

The history-making SI Swimsuit cover girl returns for an iconic group feature for the 2024 issue.

Martha Stewart was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dres by Jenny Packham. Shoes by Britt Netta. Jewelry by 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.

Martha Stewart made history in 2023, when she became the oldest woman to grace the front of the SI Swimsuit Issue. The 82-year-old, who was born and raised in New Jersey, is the ulitmate lifestyle guru. She’s an Emmy Award-winning TV host, the author of a multitude of best-selling books and the founder of Martha Stewart Omnimedia. She takes pride in always searching for the best way to complete a task or create a dish.

What does being an SI Swimsuit Legend mean to you?

“I was thinking about that on the plane ride down here. Why the heck am I taking time out of my very busy schedule to do this? It’s for me, actually. I’m doing it for me. I feel very happy that I have been able to live a good, long life as successfully as I have, and that I can still be photogenic and attractive enough to be in this amazing photograph that we’re going to take tomorrow.”

Martha Stewart was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Jenny Packham. Shoes by Britt Netta. Jewelry by Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

View Martha Stewart’s 2024 Legends photo gallery here.

What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

“Curious, more curious and very curious.”

What do you love most about yourself?

“Probably that I don’t think so much about myself. That’s really what I like about myself. I am not fixated on me. And I don’t ever want to be. I would rather be fixated on a lot of other things. I just got a new puppy. I’m fixated on the puppy. I have grandchildren on whom I am totally, 100% fixated. I adore them. I would rather be fixated on other things besides myself.”

Is there any recipe in the world that you have yet to ‘Martha-ize’?

“Oh, there are lots of recipes. The palmier at Ladurée. They are really good. Now, I do make good palmiers. And I do make my own puff pastry, too. But, somehow, they make the best palmiers. I was even thinking of going into their bakery and asking if I could just be in the bakery for a while.”

Martha Stewart was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Jenny Packham. Shoes by Britt Netta. Jewelry by Charlie Lapson. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

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

“Right now, I’m very excited because I am really busy every single day. I have lots of opportunities every single day. I am building things that are exciting. I am pretty thrilled. My life right now is very good. I’m in a good place.”

What is next for you?

“Well, I’m very, very proud of the fact that I am writing, and am almost finished, with my 100th book. It will be published in October by Clarkson Potter, and it is ‘Martha’s 100 Favorite Recipes.’ What was exciting were the memories that brought me to the choice of each recipe. And, I’ve spent a lot of time writing the forewords to each and every recipe in the book.”