Kim Kardashian and Maye Musk Cover SI Swimsuit, New Editor at Self
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A DIFFERENT MUSK: Elon Musk may be deep in his deal to buy Twitter (or not, given his tweet Friday), but that’s not the reason why the billionaire didn’t know until Monday — like the rest of the world — that his mother, Maye Musk, is one of the new cover faces of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
“I haven’t told my children,” the 74-year-old model told WWD last week. “Tosca knew I went for the shoot but she doesn’t know what it was about because I wasn’t allowed to tell anybody and the only reason she knew [about the shoot] was because she was standing next to me [when I got the call]. But Kimbal and Elon, I haven’t told them because I wasn’t allowed to. They’re going to get a surprise. Their friends are going to be blown away.”
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Indeed, the embargo was so strict that most of the models didn’t know who else would be on the cover until Monday, but now the secret is out: Musk, who was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize, is one of four cover models this year, joining Kim Kardashian, Ciara and Yumi Nu.
When Musk first got the offer to be a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit “rookie,” she joked that she was confused, but soon felt very comfortable during the shoot and hopes that her appearance will help other women feel more confident.
“I think, for me and for every woman in the world, that if they see a 74-year-old model on the cover, I think it’s just going to make them feel great about themselves walking on the beach and then I’m hoping that when someone says, ‘Oh, you don’t look so great,’ you can just ignore them or leave them or not worry about it because men don’t look that great on the beach, I’ll tell you that,” she said. “But we don’t insult them, we don’t say, ‘look at you.’ We are much too kind. So I just think you should mix with people who make you feel good in your swimsuits.”
As for Kardashian, photographed by Greg Swales in the Dominican Republic in a Skims bikini paired with matching gloves, editor in chief MJ Day perhaps surprisingly revealed this was the first time they approached the reality star, entrepreneur and budding lawyer for a magazine shoot, feeling that she embodied the theme of evolution — like all of this year’s cover faces.
“For us, this year and every year really is about evolution and the desire to evolve as a person and as a brand and become more than just whatever label was initially attached to you,” she said. “At 74, Maye continues to work every day to inspire those around her. Ciara has seen enormous success as a performer while simultaneously focusing on her passion for philanthropy and service. In her first year of being in the spotlight, Yumi is coming into who she is and taking on the responsibility of what she stands for. And, of course, Kim, no stranger to the world’s judgment, continues to live proudly, authentically and unapologetically through the noise.”
For her part, Nu added: “We always have ways we can grow as a society and the media, but I think that Sports Illustrated has helped us get to this point where we have an Asian curve model on the cover. We’re making history in that sense and to be a part of that is just an honor and also very healing for me because I would never have guessed this would’ve been my life.” — KATHRYN HOPKINS
A QUICK CHANGE: Condé Nast has named Rachel Wilkerson Miller editor in chief of Self, taking the reins from Leta Shy, who departed after just a year in the top job.
As editor in chief, Wilkerson Miller will be responsible for developing and creating Self’s content across all platforms including digital, video and social, and will report to Anna Wintour, Condé’s chief content officer and global editorial director of Vogue. She starts her new role on May 23.
As for Shy, according to her Instagram page she is about to join Dotdash Meredith as a senior vice president working on InStyle, Byrdie, Brides and Shape. Recently, Dotdash Meredith ended InStyle’s 27-year-long print run. Up until that point, InStyle was the last women’s fashion magazine in the U.S. still publishing 12 issues a year, even during 2020 when producing shoots and obtaining items from designers were extremely difficult in certain months.
A spokeswoman for Dotdash Meredith did not immediately respond to request for comment on Shy’s new role.
Of Wilkerson Miller’s appointment, Wintour said: “I am so thrilled that Rachel is joining Self to continue the incredible and important work that the brand is known for. Her passion for bringing informative and inclusive health and wellness content to all audiences, coupled with her experience writing and editing across platforms, makes Rachel a natural fit for this role. I can’t wait to see how the brand expands under her leadership.”
Before joining Vox in 2021, Wilkerson Miller spent two years as deputy editor of Vice.com, overseeing content production for the life desk. Prior to that, she spent nearly five years at BuzzFeed in a variety of roles, most recently as site director of Goodful, BuzzFeed’s health and wellness brand.
“The past two years have made it clear that people need accurate, inclusive, and practical information about health and wellness. At a time when folks are dealing with several concurrent and intertwined crises — the pandemic, climate change, racial injustice, ongoing threats to bodily autonomy, and widespread disinformation — health journalists have an important role to play,” she said. “Self is well-equipped to be a source of clarity and motivation in this moment, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with this team to create content that helps our audience take care of themselves and those around them.” — K.H.