Supermodel Brooks Nader is having her moment and thriving every second of the way.
Full Dolce&Gabbana look, us.dolcegabbana.com; Photographed by Diego Armando Mendoza; Styled by Charlie Rincon-Rodriguez; Retouched images by Alejandra Tamayo; Hair by Duber Osorio of Peter Alexander Salon; Makeup by Babi Moura; Shot on site at 5777 Pinetree Drive, listed for $19.5 million Become Legendary/ Dina Goldentayer
Baton Rouge-born supermodel Brooks Nader (@brooksnader) is no stranger to rejection. After being told ‘no’ for countless years in the cutthroat modeling industry, facing rejection after rejection, Nader persevered. In 2019, her luck changed when she won a spot in the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition through an open casting call. Landing a place within the iconic pages of the magazine catapulted Nader to new heights within the modeling world—but this year, she’s entered a new stratosphere as she landed one of the four covers of the annual glossy.
Gucci swimsuit, gucci.com; Alexis Bittar bracelets, alexisbittar.com; her own earrings.
“Finding out I got the cover [of Sports Illustrated Swim] was the craziest moment of my life. I had no idea. They completely took me by surprise,” Nader shares as we chat over the phone while she’s jaunting throughout Europe for a slew of modeling gigs and summer events. “It’s the pinnacle of modeling and something I’ve dreamt about my whole life. So I was extremely honored and excited, and I still feel like it hasn’t hit me. It finally felt real when I was in JFK and saw the cover in Hudson News.”
Full Miu Miu look, miumiu.com; her own earrings.
Nader stars alongside fellow cover stars and international icons, including pop singer Kim Petras, model and actress Megan Fox and 81-year-old legend Martha Stewart.
“Being chosen alongside these women is surreal for me. They’re all so amazing in their own ways and so incredible to be around. We had a ton of fun working together all week for the launch [at Hard Rock Hollywood],” Nader notes.
Full Miu Miu look, miumiu.com; her own earrings.
While landing this cover is certainly a bucket-list career moment for Nader, it’s safe to assume this is only the beginning of the exciting things to come for her—and she’s soaking up every minute of it.
“There are so many amazing opportunities that come with landing a cover like this, so I’m super excited to explore these new ideas. I feel like calls have been coming through since the issue came out, and it’s been an amazing feeling,” she shares.
Gucci swimsuit, gucci.com; Alexis Bittar bracelets, alexisbittar.com; her own earrings.
Launching in time for our July/August Swim cover will be Nader’s first jewelry collaboration with Electric Picks, which she squeals with excitement over as we chat about it on the phone.
Gucci swimsuit, gucci.com; Alexis Bittar bracelets, alexisbittar.com; her own earrings.
“I’m so excited for this collection to come out with Electric Picks. I’ve always loved accessorizing myself, so this was a natural fit. The collection is inspired by 90s supermodels,” she notes. “When I was in Paris during fashion week, I saw amazing vintage jewelry. That’s my jam right now, and so I was like, ‘Why don’t we design something that looks vintage but for a way better price point that is more wearable for the everyday woman?’ So that’s what our collection revolves around. I actually got to wear a pair of the earrings on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swim, which was such an exciting and amazing way to showcase what I’ve been working on and gave me the old-school Baywatch vibes.”
Christian Dior bikini and jewelry, dior.com; Jimmy Choo heels, jimmychoo.com
“I feel like accessories have always been my thing,” she continues. “I love clothes, but I’m more into monochromatic looks with striking accessories. As I started to travel more for work and go to Paris, I’d see all these chic, effortless ladies wearing sweaters, pants, sneakers, and incredible vintage Chanel earrings. That really inspired my design process.”
Christian Dior bikini and jewelry, dior.com; Jimmy Choo heels, jimmychoo.com
Loewe swimsuit and bag, loewe.com; her own earrings and bracelets.
While speaking with the Louisiana native, it’s clear that her family is everything to her. The oldest of four (all girls), Nader likes to see herself as a mentor to them, guiding her younger sisters as they enter the modeling industry.
Loewe swimsuit and bag, loewe.com; her own earrings and bracelets.
“When we were growing up in Louisiana, we never had a babysitter or anything, so if one sister had a doctor’s appointment, we all went to that doctor’s appointment. My mom just piled in all of four girls, and that’s just how we lived our life. So, it’s kind of just an extension of that. We used to spend every moment together growing up, and now we get to do that for work and fun,” she continues. “We all get along sometimes, but we also don’t always get along. But it’s a blessing to be able to work with them. When we found out I was on the cover, it was a family affair. My parents were in town with me all week celebrating, and my sisters came to everything.”
Full Chanel look, chanel.com
While it seems she is always on the go, jet-setting from one exotic destination to the other and churning out campaigns and projects galore, Nader is slowly but surely finding the beauty of balance.
“It’s something I am still working on, and I’m not very good at balance,” she admits. “I sometimes find that I overextend myself and then crash, but I think that having a good support system is really key for that and people that can tell you need to take a break or you need to not travel for a couple of weeks, or whatever it may be. That’s really important for me, and I’m so lucky I have that with my amazing family and friends.”
Full Chanel look, chanel.com
Three things you can’t live without:
Lipliner is number one. Number two is my travel candle. Number three is Champagne.
Guilty pleasure:
Going out and taking myself to a super nice dinner and just balling out by myself.
Bucket list vacation destination:
One spot I haven’t been to that I’m dying to do is Japan.
TV show you’re binging right now?
Succession
Most prized possession?
I think my Hermés bag because I wanted one for so long.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Cindy Crawford told me once when we were working together to always be on time, never complain, and be professional. I feel like that’s what got me where I am today. No matter how big you get, Cindy Crawford shows up 20 minutes early, and she doesn’t even have to, because she’s Cindy Crawford. So, I think that was my favorite advice I ever got.
Photography by: Photographed By Diego Armando Mendoza
