A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now moved towards including inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, talent, character, and charitable involvement, through private interviews with judges and answers to public on-stage questions. Pageant titles are subdivided into Miss, Mrs. or Ms., and Teen – to clearly identify the difference between pageant divisions.
A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, women, and children. A swimsuit can be described by various names, some of which are used only in particular locations or for particular types of suit, including swimwear, bathing suit, bathing attire, swimming costume, bathing costume, swimming suit, swimmers, swimming togs, bathers, cossie, or swimming trunks, besides others.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is published annually by American magazine Sports Illustrated and features female fashion models, celebrities and athletes wearing swimwear in various locales around the world. The highly coveted cover photograph has been considered as the arbiter of supermodel succession. The issue carries advertising that, in 2005, amounted to US$35 million in value. First published in 1964, it is credited with making the bikini, invented in 1946, a legitimate piece of apparel.
Carmella Danielle DeCesare Garcia is an American model who was Playboy magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of the Year for 2004. She is also known for her time in WWE as a WWE Diva search contestant. She was featured in the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the players' wives feature.
Ann J. Simonton is an American writer, lecturer, media activist, and former fashion model. She founded and coordinates the non-profit group "Media Watch", which challenges what they see as racism, sexism, and violence in the media through education and action. Simonton has published two autobiographical chapters, I Never Told Anyone and Her Wits About Her. She has also written and produced two educational videos, one of which, Don't Be a TV: Television Victim, received a Silver Apple Award from the National Educational Video and Film Festival in 1995.
Cristina Nardozzi is an American model, actress, television personality, and beauty pageant titleholder who has competed in the Miss USA 2005 pageant but Unplaced.
Hannah Jeter is an American model and television host best known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, including the cover of the 2015 edition.
Paola Laura Ruggeri Ghigo is Venezuelan athlete and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Venezuela 1983. She placed 7th in Miss Universe 1983 as the only Latin American among the Top 12 semifinalists.
Lucia Dvorská is a Slovak model who appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. She grew up in a village in western Slovakia, Zohor. Despite appearing in a television commercial as a child, she didn't start modeling until age 16. She was a contestant on the 2007 reality television show, A Model Life, hosted by Petra Němcová on TLC and as a result she won a $100 000 contract with "Next" Agency. Dvorská was a beauty pageant titleholder as the 2000 Little Miss World.
Olivia Frances Culpo is an American model, actress, influencer and beauty queen. After winning the Miss Rhode Island USA competition, she went on to win Miss USA 2012, and then Miss Universe 2012.
Audra Diane Mari is an American model, television host and beauty pageant titleholder. She was crowned Miss World America 2016 on July 8, 2016, and represented the United States at Miss World 2016. She also represented the state of North Dakota at the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA pageants where she placed 1st runner-up in each pageant.
Halima Aden is an American fashion model. She is noted for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA 2016 pageant, where she was a semi-finalist. Following her participation in the pageant, Halima received national attention and was signed to IMG Models. She was also the first model to wear a hijab and burkini in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
Marisa Paige Butler is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World America 2018 and Miss Earth USA 2021. As the national titleholder, Butler represented the United States at Miss World 2018, reaching the top thirty, and also represented the United States at Miss Earth 2021. Butler was previously crowned Miss Maine USA 2016.
Haley Kalil is a former American model and current social media personality. In 2018, Kalil was featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue as a contestant in the first ever Sports Illustrated Swim Search. As one of the two winners of the competition, alongside Camille Kostek, she officially appeared in the 2019 edition as a rookie.
Mia Kang is a British-Swiss fashion model, Muay Thai fighter, body confidence advocate, and television host based in New York City. Kang grew up in Hong Kong and was bullied as a young girl for being overweight. She halved her weight at the age of 13 and was soon scouted as a model. Kang modeled across Asia and Europe through her high school and college years. She got a master's degree in finance and financial law in England, and left modeling to work as a commodities trader, before returning to modeling in New York City and winning the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model search and being named a 2017 Rookie.
Camille Veronica Kostek is an American model, television presenter, and actress. She appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and was featured on the cover of the magazine's 2019 edition.
Miss World America 2018 was the 10th edition of the Miss World America beauty pageant. The pageant was won by Marisa Butler of Maine, with the previous year's pageant winner, Clarissa Bowers of Florida crowning her successor. This edition of the pageant differed from previous editions as the winner was selected through a video submission contest, as opposed to a standard pageant event.
Eileen Mary O'Donnell, known professionally as Eileen O'Donnell, is a Northern Irish model and beauty pageant titleholder. O'Donnell started her career in 2011 and has since modelled in the categories of fashion, skincare and swimwear. She has gone on to collaborate with numerous notable brands including Pretty Little Thing, GymKing, MVMT Watches, The Couture Club, Ziaja Skincare, Benefit Cosmetics, amongst others.
Brooks Nader is an American model and actress. She became a model for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue after winning the 2019 Swim Search, and was featured in the magazine in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2023, Nader became a covergirl for the magazine.
