Q&A With SI Swimsuit Legend Paulina Porizkova

The supermodel returns to the fold this year for the 60th anniversary issue.

Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Marchesa. Shoes by Britt Netta. 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.

Paulina Porizkova is a supermodel, author, activist and actress. She began her SI Swimsuit journey back in the 1980s, posing for the annual issue five times that decade alone, including two covers. Since, she’s made several other appearances, including one as recently as 2019. The model returns to the issue this year as a certified brand legend.

What does being an SI Swimsuit Legend mean to you?

“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.”

Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Marchesa. Shoes by Britt Netta. Jewelry by Ettika. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

View Paulina Porizkova’s 2024 Legends photo gallery here.

Describe yourself in three words.

“Courageous, curious and a social creature.”

What can women do to better empower each other?

“By being generous to one another. My God, I see so much of it. Especially online, on Instagram, there are so, so many beautiful women who are supporting other women. You can be a little envious and still support your friends, you know? That’s O.K. I think even saying, ‘You know what, I’m a little envious of your great legs. I’m a little envious of your great career. I’m a little envious of your wonderful husband.’ Let that show because it’s also sort of paying tribute. 

“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. 

“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.”

Paulina Porizkova was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. Dress by Marchesa. Shoes by Britt Netta. Jewelry by Ettika. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

What excites you most about your life right now?

“I’ve been really excited about everything for a while now—once I started working through all the crap that happened to me a few years back. As I like to put it: I saved my car and got it back on the road. I had to disassemble the car manually, get a lot of new parts, reassemble it and put it out on the road. And the road stretches ahead of me in a new vehicle to discover everything I have not yet seen ahead. It’s a tremendously inspiring and exciting time, and I’m so freaking grateful that I still have the time to get out on the road and see it all. 

“I’m taking it all, I’m doing everything and anything that gets offered to me. Anywhere that I want to go and can go, I will go. My children don’t need me so I can finally do what I want to do, and it’s amazing. Seizing the moment, that’s my other favorite saying—‘Carpe Diem.’ Seize the day.”