Kathy Jacobs, 57, Hits Miami Swim Runway for SI Swim : 'I'm Older Than Some of [the Models'] Moms'
Kathy Jacobs made history in 2020 when, at age 56, she became the oldest model to ever grace Sports Illustrated's famous Swim issue.
The model spoke to PEOPLE at Saturday's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit party for Miami Swim Week at Baia Beach Club, and said she feels right at home with the other girls in the issue, despite their significant age gap.
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"I have a 24-year-old daughter, and a lot of the girls are actually younger than my daughter, so I'm so used to being around girls that age," Jacobs explained. "I feel a connection there."
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Draped in a bright red dress and sporting her signature silver locks, Jacobs also touched on how the age gap makes her different. "I'm older than some of their moms," she said. "It's what makes me feel close to them and yet it's much different."
That said, she certainly won't take any credit for being the "mom on set," she said: "These girls don't need a set mom, they are amazing!"
Even though Jacobs has been modeling since the 1980s, she's far from jaded. "This is my first red carpet — at age 57!", she exclaimed before taking the runway at the Paraiso Miami Beach event at the Mondrian Hotel to show off everything she knows about looking confident in a bikini.
Age is not the only barrier this mom is breaking. At 5-ft.-3-in., Jacobs is also the shortest model on the roster. The gray-haired beauty loves that she's setting new standards, saying, "I hope I inspire all kinds of people that you're never too old or too short or too anything to go for it."
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Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated Kathy Jacobs
Jacobs' career has taken off since being discovered last year; she's starred in numerous advertising campaigns, a Miley Cyrus video, and is filming a commercial next week. And her signature glow has gotten enough attention that she has a new project for those trying to emulate her: "I'm working on a skincare line. I've been mixing skincare for about eight years, formulating my own creations."
RELATED: Meet Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's 2020 Model Search Winners: 'Both Women Represent Persistence'
Also on the runway at the event were Jasmine Sanders (a.k.a. Golden Barbie), who attended with her boyfriend, trainer Anthony Rhoades, Natalie Mariduena (who became famous as YouTuber David Dobrik's assistant), and 13 Swim Search hopefuls selected from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's annual open casting call.
