Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue Model Revealed: Bar Refaeli Snags SI Cover

Sports Illustrated is very secretive about their swimsuit issue and even the model herself did not find out she made the cover until hours before it hit the newstands. The cover model for SI’s 46th annual swimsuit issue is Bar Refaeli, also known as Leonardo DiCaprio’s girlfriend.

Bar Refaeli, 23, spoke with Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker on the TODAY show about how they revealed she had gotten the cover.

“My agency said I had an audition at the office,” Refaeli told the TODAY trio, who actually knew about her being the new S.I. cover girl before she did. “And then they opened the door slowly, slowly, and they had the image of the cover like really big and there were cameras all over.

“It was like five minutes where I couldn’t speak.”

Refaeli has modeled since age 15, but has reached a new level scoring the prized SI swimsuit edition cover.

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SI’s swimsuit issue is viewed by 66 million readers making it the biggest annual event in magazine publishing. Being the Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit cover girl helped further launch the careers of Tyra Banks, Rebecca Romijn, Cheryl Tiegs, Cindy Crawford and Heidi Klum.

The beautiful photos were done by Raphael Mazzucco on Canouan Island in the Grenadines. There were 19 models included in the shoot, all hoping to score the cover.

“It’s the cover that matters most,” S.I. group editor Terry McDonell told The Associated Press, but each model gets an equal shot.

“The cover has to reflect the athleticism and sexiness of the culture. This photo is modern, her hair and swimsuit look natural. You see her freckles. Her body is amazing and she looks intelligent,” McDonell told the AP.

It’s also purposeful, he noted, that the models have healthy, sometimes curvy, figures. “A skinny waif won’t work here.”

Refaeli, who was featured inside the 2007 and 2008 swimsuit editions, had a feeling she might make cover grade this year after she eyed the Missoni swimsuit that eventually put her on the front. “There’s all kinds of cover tries, you try all kinds of outfits,” she said. “That specific one, I don’t know why, we all felt like, that’s the one.”

Photos: Wenn.com

Source: news

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Posted by: Monya

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