 The atmosphere at the launch party |
 Cover model Kate Upton |
Never mind the freezing cold temperatures, New York City was full of hot bikini babes last night for the launch of the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. One by one, supermodels Bar Refaeli, Anne V., Cintia Dicker, Chrissy Teigen, Irina Shayk, and this year’s cover girl Kate Upton stepped into Crimson NYC to celebrate the new issue.
Kate was beyond excited about landing the cover—a major accomplishment after only being named rookie of the year just last February. “It’s a huge, huge honor and a total dream come true,” she told us. “I keep pinching myself just to make sure it’s real!” The covergirl looked gorgeous in a bright red dress that grazed her enviable figure. “I’m not super strict about keeping in shape, but I do work with a trainer everyday,” she said. “I like my curves so I don’t want to lose them!” Kate may as well be a real life version of Jessica Rabbit with her voluptuous curves augmented by her narrow waist, no doubt one of the many reasons why she landed the cover at such a young age.
The other Sports Illustrated babes seemed quite pleased with this year’s covergirl pick. “[Kate's] a great choice for the cover—she’s fun, sexy, and she looks hot!” 2009 covergirl Bar Refaeli shared. Julie Henderson, who’s been working with Sports Illustrated since 2007, also seemed happy about the selection. “Every year I look forward to seeing who’s on the cover; don’t get me wrong, I’d love a cover myself, but I think Kate’s a great pick and obviously it’s just a great honor to be involved and be with all these beautiful ladies.”
After the celebration in NYC, these swimsuit girls were headed straight for the airport to continue the party in Las Vegas. Stay tuned for more coverage on Modelnia, live from Sin City!
