Martha Stewart Model Pics: The Surprising History Most People Get Wrong

Honestly, if you only know Martha Stewart as the woman who teaches you how to brining a turkey or fold a fitted sheet, you're missing the wildest part of her resume. Long before she was building a media empire or hanging out with Snoop Dogg, she was a legit professional model. And I don’t just mean she took a few nice photos for a local catalog.

She was a high-fashion powerhouse.

People lose their minds whenever martha stewart model pics resurface on social media, and for good reason. There’s this specific black-and-white aesthetic from the late '50s and early '60s that makes her look like a lost Hitchcock blonde. But there’s a lot of misinformation floating around about how she got started and what those jobs actually paid.

The $50-an-Hour Hustle at Barnard

Martha Kostyra (her maiden name) didn't just fall into modeling because she was pretty. She did it because she was broke and smart. While she was studying art history and architectural history at Barnard College in New York City, she needed a way to pay for her tuition.

Back then, $50 an hour was a staggering amount of money. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly $450 to $500 an hour in today’s currency. While her classmates were probably working in the campus library for pennies, Martha was booking national television commercials and print ads.

💡 You might also like: Keira Knightley Photos Hot: Why She Refused to Let Hollywood Edit Her Body

Brands You Definitely Recognize

It’s kinda crazy to look back at the client list. We aren't talking about obscure brands. She was the face of:

• Unilever (Her very first commercial at age 15)
• Chanel (Yes, she worked for the house of Coco Chanel while the legend herself was still alive)
• Clairol and Breck (Those iconic hair ads)
• Tareyton Cigarettes (The famous "I'd rather fight than switch" campaign)

One of the most famous martha stewart model pics from this era features her in a 1961 issue of Glamour. She was named one of the "10 Best-Dressed College Girls." If you see a photo of her in a wool coat with braided buttons looking incredibly chic on a campus lawn, that’s the one.

Breaking the Internet at 81

Fast forward several decades, and Martha decided to prove that the camera still loves her. In 2023, she became the oldest woman to ever grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

She was 81.

The shoot happened in the Dominican Republic with photographer Ruven Afanador. While some critics tried to claim the photos were overly edited, Martha was pretty upfront about the preparation. She didn't starve herself, but she did cut out bread and pasta for a few months and hit the Pilates reformer hard.

There’s a specific shot of her in a white one-piece with a deep neckline and an orange cover-up that basically shut down the internet for 48 hours. It wasn't just about looking "good for her age." It was about the fact that she still had that specific "model stare" she perfected in the '60s.

Why the Early Photos Keep Going Viral

Why are we so obsessed with these vintage snaps? Mostly because they break the "Grandma Martha" archetype.

In her early 20s, she had this incredibly versatile look. One photo shows her with a short, edgy pixie cut; the next, she’s sporting big, voluminous "Breck Girl" hair. She lived a whole life as a fashion girl and a Wall Street stockbroker before she ever picked up a catering tray.

👉 See also: Kody Brown Age: Why the Sister Wives Star is Entering a Radical New Decade

Actually, she even met her first business partner, Norma Collier, while they were both modeling. It's wild to think that the entire multi-billion dollar Martha Stewart brand actually started because of connections made in the modeling industry.

The "Thirst Trap" Era

You can't talk about martha stewart model pics without mentioning her 2020 pool selfie. It was the "thirst trap" heard 'round the world.

She was just hanging out in her East Hampton pool, the lighting was perfect, and she snapped a photo that looked like a high-end skincare ad. She later admitted she didn't even know what a "thirst trap" was at the time, but she leaned into it. Since then, she’s posted mirror selfies in 13th-century Italian castles and even stripped down to just an apron for a Green Mountain Coffee Roasters campaign.

How to Find the Real Archival Shoots

If you’re looking for the authentic vintage shots, you have to look past the AI-generated "young Martha" fakes that pop up on Pinterest.

The real gold is in the Getty Images archives from 1961 or the 2013 PBS documentary Makers. In that documentary, she actually talks about how modeling taught her the business of "the look." She realized early on that how you present a product—whether it’s a bar of soap or a hand-sewn pillow—is exactly what makes people buy it.

She stopped modeling professionally around 1965 after her daughter, Alexis, was born. She traded the camera for the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, but she never lost that sense of visual perfectionism.

Actionable Insights for the "Martha Look"

If you're inspired by Martha's longevity in front of the lens, here is what she actually swears by:

• Skincare over Makeup: She famously uses Mario Badescu products and rarely wears heavy foundation, even for shoots.
• Pilates is Key: She credits her posture in the SI shoot to consistent, long-term Pilates sessions.
• Lighting is Everything: Even her "accidental" selfies are taken with a keen eye for where the sun is hitting her face.
• Confidence is a Skill: She’s gone on record saying she isn't embarrassed by nudity or aging. That lack of "fear" is what makes a photo work.

The reality is that Martha Stewart was a professional before she was a personality. Those early modeling days weren't just a side gig; they were the blueprint for how she eventually sold the "American Dream" back to us. Whether she's in a 1960s Chanel suit or a 2023 swimsuit, the hustle remains exactly the same.