Sports Illustrated models go nude in swimsuit issue (but cover up with body paint)

<i>It took over 12 hours for the swimsuits to be painted [Photo: Sports Illustrated]</i>
It took over 12 hours for the swimsuits to be painted [Photo: Sports Illustrated]

Several models appear in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated wearing nothing but a hand-painted swimsuit.

21-year-old Brazilian face Anne de Paula wore rainbow body paint (covering up all the necessities, of course) for a sultry shoot on the beach.

<i>Kate Upton starred on the issue’s three racy covers [Photo: Instagram/kateupton]</i>
Kate Upton starred on the issue’s three racy covers [Photo: Instagram/kateupton]

She hit headlines yesterday after finding out she was the winner of the magazine’s Model Search competition, securing a place in SI‘s 2018 issue.

Despite feeling naked at first, Anne described the naturist experience as being “very comfortable”.

<i>Hunter McGrady is the curviest model to star in the magazine [Photo: Sports Illustrated]</i>
Hunter McGrady is the curviest model to star in the magazine [Photo: Sports Illustrated]

Other models also donned similar hand-painted one-pieces. Size 16 Hunter McGrady was one such name that stood out after it was announced that she was the curviest model to ever feature in the magazine’s pages.

Hunter revealed the nude shoot took an extremely long time with a team of several women painting the models for over 12 hours. She was left lying on her back for six hours and standing for another six after a call time of 2 am.

“I think being in this issue is important, and [body image] is a conversation that needs to happen,” the plus-size model told E! “It’s definitely going to continue happening and I’m really excited to be a part of it, and be on the rise with it.”

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