If lingerie and swimwear advertising is all starting to look the same this year, there’s one reason: Kate Upton. Not that anyone’s complaining.
The sunny Florida beauty has modeled campaigns for at least eight intimates and swim labels this season, and it’s only April. Not bad for someone who’s just 18.
Fashion labels and editorial stylists are notorious for pouncing on the latest It Girl du jour, but rarely does a single face (and body) become so ubiquitous so quickly while working for competing brands. Here’s a roll call of Kate’s busy spring, in case you haven’t been keeping score:
And that’s just her paid work. In addition, Kate is one of those celebrities who likes tweeting candid photos of herself, often in her undies, to her 27,000 followers (@KateUpton). And, famously, taught the world how to do ‘The Dougie’ at a Lakers game, triggering another YouTube server meltdown.
For lingerie brands and retailers, it’s easy to understand Kate’s appeal, even if she risks becoming rapidly overexposed. The Michigan-born blonde has an all-American, girl-next-door look that is a blank canvas for photographers and stylists — she can be sultry or coquettish, a glam fox or a rosy-cheeked innocent, depending on the line she’s representing.
She also brings something to the lingerie modeling scene that’s needed: a slightly heftier frame and a larger bust than most super-slim models these days. Industry watchers have even speculated that Kate was brought in by Victoria’s Secret to add some weight, literally, to the slender stable that includes Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge and Chanel Iman. The fact that she looks like Marisa Miller‘s kid sister doesn’t hurt either.
Here are images from this year’s Kate Upton portfolio — so far.