UNITED STATES – Lifestyle icon Martha Stewart is making history in the 2023 swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated (SI), joining the growing ranks of older women revelling in the spotlight at ages when they are typically forced to the sidelines.
At 81, she is the oldest cover model in the history of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, breaking the record set in 2022 by model Maye Musk, who was 75 at the time of her appearance.
Also on their own covers in May are actress Megan Fox, model Brooks Nader and singer Kim Petras.
Stewart’s cover was shot by Ruven Afanador, a photographer she has worked with in the past, according to SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day.
“For me, it is a testament to good living, and all of us should think about good living, successful living, and not about ageing,” Stewart said on Monday on The Today Show. “The whole ageing thing is so boring.”
The magazine has made a habit of featuring women of all ages and backgrounds in recent years, including 2021 first-timer Kathy Jacobs, a model who was 57 at the time, and return shoots with former SI models Christie Brinkley, 69, and Paulina Porizkova, 58. Television host Padma Lakshmi, 52, is also featured in the 2023 issue.
Ms Day, Afanador and their teams worked with Stewart and all of their models to prioritise comfort and trust. The magazine is published by Arena Media Brands.
“It’s a mission we have as a brand to have these really important conversations about women and what we essentially don’t need to be up against,” Ms Day said. The goal is to shatter preconceived notions about what is possible, she added.
Hollywood is also increasing its focus on older women.
In 2022, 10 of the top-grossing films featured a leading actress who was 45 or older at the time of release, according to the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California. That is up from just one film in 2007.
By comparison, 35 films released in 2022 featured male actors who were 45 or older at the time of the release.
On the 2023 awards show circuit, actresses including Angela Bassett, 64, Jennifer Coolidge, 61, and Michelle Yeoh, 60, used their acceptance speeches to highlight how Hollywood had once counted them out.
Ageism hurts women outside of Hollywood too. A 2015 paper by researchers with the National Bureau of Economic Research found that age bias disproportionately impacts older female workers, particularly those near retirement age.
“There are just so many things we have to fight against – telling us ‘no’ or what we can and can’t be or do,” said Ms Day. “If we can help that a little bit and change that conversation, then job done.” BLOOMBERG
