Antarctica Lands Cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2013

When it came to planning SI Swimsuit 2013, Sports Illustrated wanted to make history: a globe-spanning photo shoot that brought Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model Kate Upton to Antarctica. To pull off this logistical challenge, SI turned to the foremost experts on luxury travel to the White Continent: Abercrombie & Kent.

The result is a stunning cover image, along with a series of shots depicting Kate, decked in the latest high-fashion swimwear, amid the glaciers, icebergs and deep blue skies of Antarctica … with a few curious penguins looking on. Click here to read a firsthand account of Sport Illustrated’s journey to Antarctica.

Behind the Scenes

Organizing the first fashion shoot ever conducted on the seventh continent was no simple task. A crew of 12 in total, including supermodel Kate Upton, had to arrive safe and sound after a journey of thousands of miles, all before a single shot was taken. Once in Antarctica, the crew had to contend with freezing temperatures and 20-mile-per-hour winds — as well as the knowledge that the nearest city was more than 700 miles away.

Fortunately for Kate and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, A&K was more than up to the challenge. “For more than 50 years, we have specialized in bringing unexpected comforts and amenities to remote destinations,” says A&K founder and chairman Geoffrey Kent, who travelled on the cruise to make sure the operation ran smoothly. “We were honored that Sports Illustrated came to us with this challenge, and we could not be happier with the results — the weather was perfect, and the austral summer gave the crew 20 hours of daylight to shoot in.”

Book Your Own Picture-Perfect Antarctica Odyssey

Now is the time to reserve your 2013-14 journey to the White Continent. Be sure to visit our Antarctica section to read about the experiences of A&K guests, learn about luxurious, all-balcony 'Le Boreal' and decide which journey is right for you.