Many of the cover stars have had very successful careers as models and later went on to become businesswomen, actors, and more—just look at the models from the ’90s. While some of them are still extremely famous (like Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum) others took different paths and chose how much of the spotlight they wanted after reaching this major career milestone. Read on to see where all of the ’90s swimsuit issue issue stars are today. RELATED: See the Model Who Just Made Sports Illustrated Swimsuit History Twice.
Judit Mascó kicked off the decade in Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue covers. The Spanish model was 20 years old at the time. After her cover moment, she went on to appear in several more swimsuit issues.
After SI, Mascó landed numerous other magazine covers, brand campaigns, and fashion shows. Now 51, she’s a television host on Spanish TV and is the president of the non-profit Fundació Ared, which helps “people at risk of social exclusion” find work, including women who have been imprisoned. Mascó was named Woman of the Year by Elle magazine in 2003 for her work getting Joaquin José Martínez off of death row when he was wrongfully convicted, as reported by Sports Illustrated. Mascó is also married to Eduardo Vicente and has four children.
Ashley Richardson (formerly Ashley Montana) was the 1991 cover star when she was 25 years old. Richardson appeared in the swimsuit issue six times between 1989 and 1995. Around the same time, she also appeared in the music video for John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Let It All Hang Out”. Unlike some of the other models on the list, Richardson, 56, keeps a much lower profile now. She runs the ballet studio Gateway Ballet in Boston. Richardson had previously trained in ballet before becoming a model, as explained in a behind-the-scenes Sports Illustrated video from 1995. Richardson has a daughter, Daisy, who she welcomed in the early ’90s.
Kathy Ireland has appeared in a whopping 13 SI swimsuit issues and on the cover of three (1989, 1992, 1994). When she appeared on the 1992 cover, she was 29 years old. Ireland has also worked as an actor, and was appearing in film and televisions roles around the same time she was one of SI’s biggest stars. Now, Ireland, 58, might be better known for the many products she’s licensed under her brand than for her modeling. After she released a line of socks with Kmart in 1993, she started her own company Kathy Ireland Worldwide, which first saw her selling products exclusively with Kmart, and then with other stores. According to Forbes, she has lent her name to over 17,000 products, and as of 2016, her net worth was $360 million. Ireland has been married to Greg Olsen since 1988 and has three children.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
The 1993 cover went to 26-year-old Vendela Kirsebom. By the time she landed her SI cover, the Swedish and Norwegian model had already worked professionally in Italy and the U.S., including as a spokesmodel for Almay. Kirsebom, now 54, had a few small acting roles after appearing on the cover of the swimsuit issue, including in The Parent Trap and Batman & Robin. She also became a TV host, and hosted two seasons of Norway’s Next Top Model and one season of Sweden’s Next Top Model. She currently sells a line of skincare products and a line of glasses. Kirsebom was previously married to Olaf Thommessen, a Norwegian politician, and they have two children. For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
In 1994, Ireland shared the cover with 29-year-old Elle Macpherson and 24-year-old Rachel Hunter. Macpherson holds the record for most swimsuit issue covers with five (1986, 1987, 1988, 1994, 2006). As for Hunter, she appeared on two covers (1994 and 2006). Macpherson, 57, was a very successful high-fashion and runway model and has played a few acting roles including on Friends. She also appeared as the host on four seasons of Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model. The Australian model has two children with her former partner Arpad Busson. Currently, her biggest venture is being the founder of WelleCo, a wellness supplements company. New Zealander model Hunter, 51, continued modeling outside of Sports Illustrated, appearing on a number of major magazine covers. She also had an acting career, primarily in indie movies, and played the titular mom in the music video for the Fountain of Wayne song “Stacy’s Mom.” In 2012, she was a judge on New Zealand’s Got Talent. As for her personal life, Hunter married Rod Stewart in 1990 and they separated in 1999. The former couple have two children together.
Daniela Peštová first appeared on the cover of the magazine in 1995 at age 24, and then was a cover star again in 2000 and 2006. As a young model she moved from the Czech Republic to New York City, and has been on the cover of numerous fashion magazines. Peštová became a Victoria’s Secret Angel and walked in the brand’s runway show in the late ’90s and early ’00s. The 50-year-old is now a contributing editor for Harper’s Bazaar Czech Republic, and shares a lot of photos of her personal style on her Instagram account. Peštová welcomed one child with her first husband, Tommaso Buti, and two children with her current husband, musician Pavol Habera.
Valeria Mazza and Tyra Banks both landed the 1996 cover, but let’s talk about Mazza for now, since Banks returned for a solo cover the following year. The Argentinian model appeared on the cover when she was 23. Mazza, now 49, has a glasses line and a home goods line. She’s still got it when it comes to modeling, and recently shared some photos she took for Marie Claire España. Mazza has been married to Alejandro Gravier since 1998, and they have four kids.
Now for Banks, who is one of the biggest household names on the list. When the 1997 swimsuit issue was released, Banks was 23 years old. Around this time, she also became a Victoria’s Secret Angel and had already done some acting, including on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When Banks appeared on the cover, she became the first Black woman to cover the swimsuit issue. She covered the magazine again in 2019. Banks, 47, is one of the top supermodels of all time and has walked on many designer runways and covered many magazines. She’s had a number of acting roles, hosted her own talk show, hosted and created the series America’s Next Top Model, and hosted the competition shows America’s Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars. Banks has one child with her former partner, photographer Erik Asla.
Heidi Klum starred on the cover of the 1998 issue when she was 24. Like some of the other cover stars, she was also a Victoria’s Secret Angel. After a hugely successful modeling career, like Banks, Klum turned to TV. The 48-year-old is well known for hosting the fashion design competition series Project Runway, has hosted Germany’s Next Topmodel since 2006, and was a judge for several seasons of America’s Got Talent. Klum had a high-profile marriage and divorce with singer Seal, and is currently married to musician Tom Kaulitz. She has four children.
Closing out the ’90s, we have Rebecca Romijn. The model was 26 years old when she appeared on the swimsuit issue cover. As a young model, Romijn moved from California to Paris for her career. Romijn, 48, had a lot of success as a model outside of Sports Illustrated, covering many more magazines and modeling for top designers. She then turned to an acting career and is known for playing Mystique in the earlier series of X-Men movies and Alexis on Ugly Betty. Romijn was previously married to actor John Stamos and is now married to actor Jerry O’Connell, with whom she has twin daughters. RELATED: This Up-and-Coming Swimsuit Model Kept Her Famous Father a Secret.
