Women wearing bikinis in a fashion show are always head turners, but when model Mara Martin stepped out at the “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit fashion show, people really paid attention. The 30-year-old mom hit the runway holding her five-month-old daughter, Aria and breastfed the baby while strutting her stuff in a bathing suit.
The mom from Monroe, Michigan was chosen by the magazine as one of the 16 finalists at an open casting call at Miami Swim Week. Before she hit the catwalk, she shared a snap of her adorable grinning baby girl on Instagram. (see below!) with the caption:
“The face you make when your mom makes it to the final 16 of the @si_swimsuit Swim Search,” she writes in the caption. “I’m so so so thankful for the entire team at Sports Illustrated for picking me.”
After the swimsuit show, fans showed their support for Mara with positive comments. “This is so powerful,” writes Haley Kalil, who won this year’s “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Model search and also walked in the fashion show.
Another Insta user called it “one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.”
Of course, there were negative comments, too, saying Mara was “over-glorifying” breastfeeding and calling it “unnecessary.” But no matter how you feel about it, this mom definitely has people talking.
If you want to see some of the other hot shots featuring SI Swimsuit models, keep strolling down.....
BTW...this is the cover model closing out the show with a blown kiss on the catwalk: Danielle Herrington.