Yvette and Yvonne Sylvander were placed on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1976 at age 20. Daughters of a Swedish ship captain and his mate, the identical twins had almost zero experience as models when they appeared in SI, yet their cover is among the most popular ever! The cover was shot by Kourken Pakchanian in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Yvette in a one piece and Yvonne in a matching bikini has got us yearning for summer waves!
After the twins shot the cover, they flew to New York and signed with Ford Models. However, when the first photographer they encounter told them to take off all their clothes, the girls left straight home for Florida and never really made a career in modeling.
On March 27, 1985, Yvonne woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling. The next morning she had learned that Yvette was in a car accident and fell into a coma. Three weeks later, Yvette awoke and Yvonne was by her side every step of the way through her recovery. Yvette occasionally works as a dental assistant and the twins remain close. Although they no longer model, we will definitely never forget their SI cover, which is definitely twice as nice!
