At the age of 74, Maye Musk is the eldest person to ever model on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover. Proving that age does not confine you to certain fashion standards, the well-accomplished model shattered stereotypes simply by being comfortable in her own skin.
Musk has been working in the modeling industry for decades now, but since society can oftentimes have negative views on aging, her modeling career has been on the backburner. However, the 74-year-old’s cover title of SI aims to discuss stereotypes on aging and more specifically, showcase that there is no reason aging should be seen as a bad thing.
“At 74, Maye continues to work every day to inspire those around her,” MJ Day, SI Swimsuit editor in chief, shared in a statement.
In addition to Musk, three other women will be included on the issue’s cover this year. The magazine lists them as, “Grammy Award-winning singer Ciara, musician/fashion entrepreneur Yumi Nu, and pop culture icon Kim Kardashian.” Considering this lineup, it is one of Sports Illustrated’s most diverse issues. According to the editor-in-chief, this is a good thing.
“In this issue, we encourage readers to see these models as we see them: multifaceted, multitalented—and sexy while they’re at it,” Day explained. “The world may label them one way, but we want to focus our lens on all the ways they see themselves and how they own who they are…we want to celebrate these women, their evolution and the many dimensions of who they are.”
Maye Musk discusses her unfiltered thoughts on modeling swimsuits at the age of 74
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Musk, who is the mother of billionaire and Tesla owner Elon Musk, even admitted in an interview that at first, she was hesitant to model a swimsuit out of discomfort. “My first reaction was, I could never dream up something like that because why would anyone have a 74-year-old on their cover, especially in a swimsuit,” she told media outlet PEOPLE.
However, she prevailed, “I do think it’s going to make women feel more comfortable in their seventies when they swim, as well as women in their twenties and thirties.” She also mentioned that being comfortable in your own skin requires unlearning negative self-perception.
The mother shared that she believes if women stop caring about what other people think, being comfortable will come with ease. “When women go to the beach, we’re kind of shy about our bodies, but men will walk around, looking terrible, and they don’t care,” she said. “I think we have to not care that much!”
