Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooks Nader says her journey to a posing gig in the mag 'was a long one'
Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooks Nader admitted that appearing in the coveted magazine was far from simple. However the pinup, who would go on to follow in idol Christie Brinkley's footsteps, insisted it was all worth it.
Brooks Nader was named Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's newest rookie model in July.
The Baton Rouge, La., native was "hand-picked" during a model search conducted by the iconic magazine and now she's shooting her campaign in Bali.
Nader, 23, shared a few behind-the-scene videos as she modeled bikinis for the special issue of SI and enjoyed the surf and sand.
"I am here on my rookie shoot. I can't believe I am saying that!" she told the camera before calling over celebrity photographer Yu Tsai.
"I have to give him props because he was part of my casting process at open call in Miami," Nader explained. "And now we're here in Bali."
The new modeling star flew business class during the long-haul flight to Hong Kong and then Bali.
According to the outlet, Brooks attended an open casting call in Miami last year and made it to the final six out of over 10,000 Instagram and in-person applicants. The final six women then traveled to Paradise Island, in the Bahamas, in February to shoot with Yu Tsai for a spread in the 2019 issue.
"We couldn’t be more excited about this new addition to the family!” announced the magazine. “There’s so much to love about Brooks. This brunette beauty with a Louisiana flair knows how to take a stunning photo and has the personality to match. It’s hard to believe that Brooks is so new to the modeling game, but we know great things are in store for this rookie!”
She confirmed the news on social media.
“Being in @si_swimsuit was always a dream of mine, it wasn’t until this year when I got to work with the amazing edit team, crew, photographers, and event staff that I realized that it’s the people behind the scenes that make this brand so special,” Nader captioned in an Instagram post. “I am beyond excited to tell you that I get to relive the experience next year as a ROOKIE!!! I have not stopped smiling since [editor] @mj_day surprised me with flowers and the best news of my life!!!”
In May, Nader attended the “SI Swimsuit on Location” event in Miami where she described how her life has changed since appearing in the magazine. “For me, it’s everything,” Nader revealed at the venue’s red carpet affair. “I’ve always dreamt of it. It’s like a childhood dream of mine. I entered through Model Search, so I did the open call in Miami a year ago and now I’m here. So, the process and the journey for me is everything, because it was a long one.”
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Nader insisted she would recommend that any girl take a chance to rock a skimpy swimsuit for the coveted magazine.
“Go for it,” she shared. “Do it. Be yourself. Own it. I mean, [editor] MJ [Day] and all the editors are just as nervous to meet you guys. Like, they want to see you. They want to see the real you. You want to be authentic. Show your flaws. … MJ loves that. And it’s just such a special thing to be a part of this brand.”
Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.
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