Ilona Spills on Her Sports Illustrated Cover Shoot with Editor-in-Chief MJ Day

Summary

House of Maher – "Why We Need Representation"

Podcast: House of Maher
Host: Wave
Episode: Why We Need Representation with MJ Day (Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Editor-in-Chief)
Date: March 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of House of Maher dives into the significance of authentic representation within media and sports, focusing on the role of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s Editor-in-Chief, MJ Day. Hosted by rugby star Ilona Maher with her sisters Olivia and Adrianna (“Dre Baby”), the conversation spans body image, athleticism, beauty standards, the power of the Swimsuit issue, stories from behind the scenes, and MJ Day’s personal philosophy on inclusion and media change. The tone is supportive, humorous, frank, and deeply insightful, offering both practical advice and moving anecdotes from the world of high-profile fashion media.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. On Body Image and BMI: Athletes vs. Reality

• The sisters open up about body image, debunking BMI as a measure of health.
  • Ilona and Adriana discuss their own BMI numbers and how medical standards don’t capture the realities of athletic bodies or self-worth.
    • “[BMI] doesn’t paint the full picture… It’s super outdated that they’re still using it. If you need help with your weight, it’s also about how you feel and how you look. The BMI isn’t taking into account all that you are.”
      — Ilona, [02:48]
• They encourage celebrating strength and rejecting outdated health measures.
  • “You can like the way you look at any size. But it also is important to—if it doesn’t seem like something that would require a doctor being like, just keep it up, keep exercising. I’m like, I look good, though.”
    — Adriana, [04:22]

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2. MJ Day’s Beginnings: From Closet Assistant to EIC

• MJ describes humble beginnings at SI Swimsuit, literally sorting bikinis in cardboard boxes.
  • “I would literally sit inside the box and just piece the swimsuits together... That was my day, all day, every day.”
    — MJ Day, [36:12]
• Promotion came early, fueled by necessity and perseverance:
  • “We were these two young girls kind of, like, thrust into this position... we did it, we went really over budget because we had no idea what a budget was. But... you do something well for long enough, hopefully people notice, and that’s what happened.”
    — MJ Day, [38:01–40:53]

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3. Championing True Diversity in Beauty

• MJ’s core belief: beauty is only real if it’s inclusive.
  • “The world deserves. Women deserve to be represented in all their various forms... It’s not one thing, it’s not one flavor, it’s not one look. There is such beauty in diversity, and I’m unable to see it any other way. It’s not celebrating beauty if you’re not celebrating diversity.”
    — MJ Day, [00:40 & repeated at 43:29]
• Her stand on inclusion:
  • “If that wasn’t going to be supported, then I wasn’t going to be part of it... it’s not celebrating beauty if you’re not celebrating diversity.”
    — MJ Day, [43:29]
• Why continue?
  • “If Sports Illustrated Swimsuit can be the brand that remains steadfast in its commitment to that, then my job is done, and I’m very happy with that. But it needs to be more than just SI Swimsuit.”
    — MJ Day, [44:49]
• On industry regression:
  • “We’ve seen a lot of regression in that space... It’s important to remain steadfast in your commitment and not just allow yourself to be lulled back into this, you know, false sense of homogenous existence.”
    — MJ Day, [45:13]

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4. Behind the Scenes: Swimsuit Shoots & Team Dynamics

• Creating a safe, trust-driven, and collaborative environment:
  • “You want to foster an environment built on trust and respect for the individual… We do think you’re amazing. We do want you to feel as gorgeous as we’re seeing you.”
    — MJ Day, [12:17]
• On working with athletes as models:
  • “The mindset is so uniquely beautiful to the athlete… These girls were up against it that day… I gave them a couple pep talks where I was like, 'Alright, guys, it’s game day—you gotta win this.’”
    — MJ Day, [10:24–11:15]
• Shooting in hard conditions:
  • A story of a shoot in Florida during a cold snap, and a Madagascar shoot disrupted by political violence, revealing the unpredictable obstacles in major shoots.
    • “People were hypothermic and not prepared… That was probably my hardest shoot.”
      — MJ Day, [28:48–30:01]
    • “We spent 48 hours on this little island … and it wasn’t until we got back we found out that all these expats… were accused… and burned alive in these tires.”
      — MJ Day, [31:53]
• Team support and improvisation:
  • “When people started falling on that shoot, I was like, this calls for tequila. It’s time.”
    — MJ Day, [33:59]

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5. Selecting Photographers & The Power of the Image

• Choosing collaborators:
  • “I have a core group of photographers… bulletproof… I know I can put in almost any situation with any type of person and get a beautiful image from them.”
    — MJ Day, [15:42]
• On the art of photography and representation:
  • “There isn’t a formula for a successful photo, really. You have to understand your body, your comforts, your environment… It’s about adaptability and letting it evolve.”
    — MJ Day, [19:10]
• On the emotional labor of editing:
  • “The editing is the hardest part because I get really emotionally attached to images... That’s my fatal flaw, because I love them all.”
    — MJ Day, [25:36]

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6. Notable Covers & Cultural Milestones

• Ashley Graham’s historic cover:
  • “That was pivotal in the brand’s evolution… Now we can talk about it and people are like, 'What’s the big deal?' But back then, it was met with a lot of vitriol and hesitancy.”
    — MJ Day, [46:47]
• Other boundary-breaking moments:
  • “We had Lena Bloom, one of the first transgender models on the cover. We have celebrated women of varying ages, like Martha Stewart.”
    — MJ Day, [47:23]
• On impact:
  • “If we affect one person like that, and get them to see the trajectory of their life a little differently… mission accomplished.”
    — MJ Day, [49:04]

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7. Practical Advice: How to Take a Better Photo

• MJ’s advice for getting comfortable on camera:
  • “Take a million photos. You never know what’s going to… Don’t be afraid to explore… It’s not about this formulaic approach. It’s about exploring and having fun.”
    — MJ Day, [23:48]
• On celebrating confidence and variety in image selection:
  • “It’s not necessarily always about the sexiest photo… It’s about the different emotions each photograph brings.”
    — MJ Day, [25:36]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s not celebrating beauty if you’re not celebrating diversity.”
  — MJ Day, [00:40/43:29]
• “A shoot isn’t good when you can do the edit too easily. When it’s hard, that’s a great sign.”
  — MJ Day, [28:14]
• “When people started getting sick on that shoot, I was like, this calls for tequila!”
  — MJ Day, [33:59]
• “If Sports Illustrated Swimsuit can be the brand that remains steadfast in its commitment to that, then my job is done.”
  — MJ Day, [44:49]
• “Take a million photos… It’s about exploring and having fun and really seeing… what your body can do and what your lens can do.”
  — MJ Day, [23:48]

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Quick-Fire (Try Hard) and Lighthearted Segment [49:27–54:58]

• Best beach in the world? “I love the Jersey Shore. The texture of the sand, the water temperature… I’m a big Jersey Shore fan.” — MJ Day, [50:00]
• Family crest? “Maybe a globe, a knife through the globe, a hockey stick, a lacrosse stick—there should be like a bathing suit somewhere.” — MJ Day, [50:58]
• Favorite swimsuit? “It would be small… a little cheeky bottom… something you feel hot and good in. I feel like you guys look good in red. Oranges…” — MJ Day, [54:45]

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Timestamps for Essential Segments

• Body Image & BMI Real Talk: [02:04 – 06:17]
• MJ Day’s Career Origin Story: [06:57 – 08:53] & [36:10 – 40:53]
• Shooting Athletes & Cold Snaps: [10:24 – 11:58], [28:48 – 32:51]
• Diversity Philosophy/Industry Pushback: [43:29 – 46:29]
• Ashley Graham Cover & Other Milestones: [46:47 – 49:04]
• Photo Tips for the Masses: [23:27 – 25:36]
• Rapid Fire / Try Hard Segment: [49:27 – 54:58]

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Episode Takeaways

• Representation and diversity are non-negotiable for true celebration of beauty.
• Athletes, models, and all women deserve to feel seen, comfortable, and empowered.
• The work of inclusion in media is ongoing, with progress often followed by pushback—so steadfastness is essential.
• Behind glamorous covers are stories of perseverance, team spirit, and extraordinary situations (from hypothermia to political turmoil).
• Anyone can learn to show their best self on camera—explore, adapt, and have fun.

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For Further Inspiration

• Follow MJ Day’s work and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit on Instagram and TikTok: @siswimsuit
• Revisit Ilona Maher’s cover and behind-the-scenes features for tangible examples of MJ’s inclusive vision.

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For more vibrant conversation, community, and the Maher sisters’ signature blend of humor, advocacy, and support, tune in every Tuesday to the House of Maher.

Transcript

[MJ Day]

Blizzard Entertainment presents the newest expansion for World of Warcraft. Midnight calls every hero home to Azeroth. All paths lead to this moment. Xal' Atath rises, the void follows, and the Sunwell stands in peril. Raiders, explorers, storytellers, newcomers and legends alike. This is your world, your story, your moment. Because Azeroth is home. And home is always worth fighting for.

[Ilona]

Available [e-mail] what gave you, I guess the power to be like? No, this is what I think we should showcase on these covers and not stick to the one look of what a woman should be and what beauty and sexiness should be.

[MJ Day]

The world deserves. Women deserve to be represented in all their various forms and all their everything that makes us human and special. And it's not one thing, it's not one flavor, it's not one look. There is such beauty in diversity, and I'm unable to see it any other way. It's not celebrating beauty if you're not celebrating diversity.

[Ilona]

Welcome or welcome back to House of Mar A Wave Original. Tie your bikini strings and help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. The WI FI password is Swimsuit Edition, all caps. As you should know by now, we have a few house rules.

[Adriana]

Girls are magic.

[Alona]

Reading is hot.

[Ilona]

And so are you. If you're watching us or if you're just listening, maybe check us out on YouTube. Put us on while you're cleaning the

[Alona]

house, doing your makeup.

[Ilona]

Puzzling.

[Adriana]

Hang out with us in person.

[Ilona]

Hang out with us in person. Sit here, yap and yap with us.

[Adriana]

My friends say when they're watching, it feels like they're sitting on the carpet. Like having a. Like, listening on a conversation.

[Alona]

They don't get a seat. They just got to go to the carpet.

[Adriana]

They are the dog. They're the dog in this situation.

[Ilona]

We have a whole couch, but no, they get carpet.

[Adriana]

No, they get the carpet.

[Ilona]

Let's get into what's happening with us. What's happening online. Let's hit the group chat for a minute.

[MJ Day]

Group chat.

[Adriana]

I mean, can I. I just want to start a little strong here. Sorry. Wanna talk about me?

[Ilona]

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday where

[Adriana]

she told me my bmi.

[Ilona]

Yeah.

[Adriana]

And this stuck out to me because you obviously have had a huge video on bmi when somebody tried to, like, trying to tear you down by saying you look like you have a certain BM bmi. And you were like, yeah, I do. Because I'm a professional athlete. Yeah, I do have that. So mine was 28.2. And I was like, is that bad? Is that okay? Like, to my new dog, this is a brand new doctor too. So I was kind of like, I don't know because I don't really, I don't ever weigh myself really. And she was like, no, it's like, just like, keep exercising. And I was like, okay. So I texted Alona right away to be like, what does this mean? And you were quite helpful.

[Alona]

It doesn't really mean much.

[Ilona]

It doesn't mean much. It's just working with your height and weight. So it's kind of doesn't paint the full picture. Like I say in my video, go check that out, guys, because I have a BMI about 30, okay? So I'm 5, 10, 200, like 8 pounds. And I go up to about 30. But when I talked in my video, what I say is I. I see this comment saying you look like you have a BMI of 30. And then I was like. So I talked to my, talk to my dietitian and she goes, well, that doesn't take into account that you have 175 pounds of lean, like, you know, muscle, whatever it is on you. So I think that it's kind of, it's super outdated that they're still using it. It could be an indicator in some ways. But I feel like if there's, if you need help with your weight or you're on that scale, that's about also how they feel, how, how they look as well. Like the BMI isn't taking into account that all that you are, you know, somebody who still does run and lift and, and does pilates and whatnot. I mean, I think maybe there is some telling. Maybe it could be. Get a little fit all of us. But it's such a small part of the story.

[Alona]

I weigh less than you. I'm like 198 usually. So my BMI is smaller. Cause I'm the same height as you. Yeah, but if you look at us, someone's more healthy in this scenario.

[Ilona]

Not more healthy. It's just a different life. Like, I don't think that we're meant to be much smaller and I have much more muscle on me. So it's so funny that I'm 30 is obese on BMI really. So I'm considered obese, yet solid athlete, you know, like, I'm very fit person, so.

[Adriana]

And I look in the mirror and I like the way I look. I'm like, this doesn't feel like somebody who, like, I don't know, needs to be worried.

[Ilona]

You can like the way you look at any size. But it also is important to.

[Adriana]

But if it doesn't seem like something that would require a doctor being like, just keep it up. Keep exercising. I'm like, I look good, though. Like, I look healthy. I'm like, good to go. So I guess that's why it was confusing.

[Alona]

I haven't looked at my BMI since high school. I used to unhealthily be in that.

[Ilona]

You're the same as her.

[Alona]

The calculator.

[Ilona]

You're the exact same as her.

[Alona]

Well, she's got an extra inch on me.

[Adriana]

I don't think that's true.

[Ilona]

I don't think that's five' eleven.

[Alona]

I'm five' ten.

[Adriana]

I'm five. Yeah.

[Ilona]

Okay. So the way that you plug it in, she's sheep 10. Or is she five'10 and some that

[Adriana]

she rounds up to five'11 to make men feel tiny. Maybe the only way to actually settle this is to break out the old we fit. See what that has to say about

[Ilona]

current that would help us.

[Alona]

11 year old me getting on that thing.

[Adriana]

Oh,

[Ilona]

obese.

[Adriana]

Morbidly obese.

[Alona]

Yeah.

[Adriana]

Okay. The spookiest of times. Okay. But that's good to know.

[Ilona]

I would say keep exercising, as I've been trying to tell you to do.

[Adriana]

I've got to keep exercising.

[Ilona]

Take those classes. I've told you.

[Adriana]

I know. I got to do weight lifting.

[Ilona]

Bone density. Mom started lifting.

[Adriana]

Yes.

[Ilona]

With my. With my old strength coach from college.

[Adriana]

Yep.

[Ilona]

And mom's like, she's making me do these things and it hurts and everything. I'm like, good, good. I asked her, I was like, how was today?

[Adriana]

She's like, she continues to invent new ways to torture me endlessly. I'm like, okay. And she also was like, it's kind of funny. She was like, well, it's just kind of expensive, you know, I just. I don't know. It's quite expensive. And so I tell Alona. I was like, mom's complaining. That's expensive. That's gonna be her way to like, stop doing this. And so Ilona sent our mom money.

[Ilona]

You got classes for the next good amount of time, woman.

[Adriana]

And our mom. So then I was talking to my mom the next time and she was

[MJ Day]

like, I don't want to send me

[Adriana]

money, so now I can't. I was like, oh, man, that would

[Ilona]

really suck if it was somebody that

[Adriana]

told her you were complaining about that, huh? She goes, you

[Ilona]

love you, mom.

[Adriana]

Love you, mommy. Keep it up. You're working hard.

[Ilona]

Our fourth mar sister today is a Woman whose career is a masterclass in creative innovation. She is the editor in chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. And she has used her platform to champion a more inclusive and honest version of beauty for millions. Starting as an assistant in a closet full of bikinis, she rose through the ranks and has spent her career reshaping beauty standards. She's a visionary who put the first plus size model on the COVID Watch our convo with Ashley Graham if you haven't. And she's the architect behind my very own SI cover. We love her so very much and admire her endlessly. Welcome to the family, M.J. day.

[MJ Day]

Being here.

[Adriana]

Where are you from?

[Alona]

Coming.

[MJ Day]

I'm so excited I'm coming to you. Hot from the tundra that is Montclair, New Jersey.

[Alona]

Just 20 inches, maybe.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, like 22 or 24. I don't know. It's over my dog's head is all I know. They can't. They can't walk in it.

[Alona]

It's crazy.

[Adriana]

Oh, God.

[MJ Day]

Far cry from a beach.

[Adriana]

No, literally.

[MJ Day]

Wait, I have to. I don't want to hijack this, but I want you to see something alone. I wore this just for you.

[Ilona]

What is it? This is.

[Alona]

Is it a rugby shirt?

[MJ Day]

Oh, you always have to wear bathing suits when you're on my set, so I'm gonna wear. This is my college rugby that I played in when I.

[Ilona]

Some respect you wore. That's an old jersey there, mj. I will say.

[MJ Day]

What do you mean, bitch? What do you mean?

[Adriana]

Oh, vintage.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, it's vintage. She's vintage. She's vintage.

[Adriana]

It's vintage.

[Ilona]

That's a really nice one.

[Adriana]

It's a good jersey. Old, like. You buy that at a store today. That was a great selling fashion.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, I know. I'm like never. I dug it out from the archives under ak, my guest room bed, but yeah.

[Ilona]

Mj, you were a college athlete. What. What other sports did you play? So you played rugby for a bit, but was there another sport?

[MJ Day]

I was on the track team. I was a discus thrower. I was on the weight team. So I was a weight girl, which translated well for me for rugby, because I was all legs, you know?

[Adriana]

What position were you in? Rug.

[MJ Day]

Can you guess? Do you know? Did I tell you? I don't.

[Ilona]

She probably told us in my memory.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, I. I would say.

[Ilona]

You weren't a hooker, were you? A nine?

[Adriana]

No. Just kidding.

[Ilona]

Well, center fly, half prop.

[Adriana]

Yes.

[MJ Day]

Oh, my goodness. She's a strong girl.

[Ilona]

She's a strong, sturdy girl.

[Adriana]

Oh, my gosh.

[MJ Day]

Sturdy.

[Alona]

I know.

[MJ Day]

So I was Very excited when I met you.

[Ilona]

Well, thank you so much, mj.

[MJ Day]

My idol, my idol, my rugby idol.

[Ilona]

That's me.

[MJ Day]

You're many different idols to many different people.

[Alona]

Ilona.

[MJ Day]

Yes.

[Alona]

I'm gonna bring us on into what we call tea time. First, congratulations on the brand new cover. You just did a huge digital issue with Normani and a few other amazing women. I especially just love Normani. So how did you go about choosing

[MJ Day]

your cover models for our most recent issue? I mean, it was really exciting because we wanted to take a group of women who obviously live in the football universe, you know, commonly known as Wags Wives and Girlfriends. We like to refer to them as Women are great. And, like, these are women that, you know, they really represent a lot off the field. They're doing really amazing things within their communities. And I like to call them the better halves because they are just like standalone outstanding women that are not defined by their significant other's achievements and what they do. They are. They're really moving the needle, you know, for women and for their own areas of interest on and off the field. So they were kind of like layups to feature because they all do such amazing things and speak to so many different, important things, you know?

[Adriana]

Absolutely. Adriana and I like to call ourselves Wags as well. We've just turned the S into sisters, so that was part of that crowd. Wags to Alona.

[Alona]

Sisters.

[MJ Day]

I love that. I love that. Well, most of those women were also least collegiate athletes, if not professional athletes, too. It was a really fun group to be around. And I've said this to you before, but I love shooting athletes. It's my favorite part of this job because the mindset is so uniquely beautiful to the athlete, you know, and these girls were up against it that day.

[Adriana]

So they had.

[MJ Day]

I gave them a couple pep talks where I was like, all right, guys. Like, it's game day. Like, you gotta win this. Let's go.

[Adriana]

And like that.

[MJ Day]

They were like, yes, coach. Okay, hands in.

[Adriana]

All the intense.

[MJ Day]

Literally, I think we did that actually at one point because we were all hallucinating and freezing, so.

[Adriana]

Well, yeah, because there was a cold snap while you were shooting or something.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, it was insane. It was like. The real feel was 22 degrees. I've never. I've never. And I've shot in Antarctica. I've never in my life. It was unbearable. It was colder than Antarctica. Yeah, it was crazy because we were not prepared for it. Usually you go to Antarctica, you're like, you have all the right equipment. You have all the Right gear. You have all the right, you know, warming devices. And we were like, yeah, we're going to Florida. Yeah, I have my coat that I flew in and, you know, a couple of things because I'm an insane overpacker that I was, like, distributing amongst the team because people. People were freezing, and there's not even a place to buy a warm jacket in South Florida. Honestly, it was insane. I like guilt from that shoot.

[Adriana]

Keep spirits up through pep talks. Keeping everyone going, giving out your own goods. I feel like the whole team, at least when I've been fortunate enough to be on set with you guys, is so just fun to be around. There's just a warmth anyway. So is it really just, like, a team effort? Is it. Is it you and other people who are keeping the vibes up? Or how does that work with the whole crew?

[MJ Day]

I mean, the whole crew is a vibe. You know, you realize you're. They really are. I mean, you can't be a wallflower and be on this team, honestly, you know, and it's important, I think, part of everyone's job to. To really make people comfortable, to sort of read the room, even, and note if somebody isn't feeling great or needs a minute or may have a concern that maybe they don't feel comfortable voicing or whatever. And so it's just really important to have that mindset when you're going into this thing. It's like women are in a vulnerable position in swimwear, and we realize that it's not like 99.999% of the talent that grace, you know, this brand. Do not walk around on a daily basis in swimwear. They just don't, you know, like, this is not reality. And so. And a lot. For a lot of women, it may be the first time they're in a, you know, a setting such as ours where they're getting photographs taken and there's video cameras everywhere. And so you just. You do want to foster an environment that is built on trust and respect for the individual. And just make sure everybody feels their best because you're there, because we think you're amazing. So it's a very genuine feeling for people to communicate it to the woman that's in front of the camera. We are excited that you're there. We do think you're amazing. We do want you to feel as gorgeous as we're seeing you. And so it's easy to do that, but we want that to be communicated. I don't need to keep that a secret. You look amazing. You're Amazing.

[Ilona]

Absolutely.

[MJ Day]

Hear it.

[Adriana]

I mean, Ilona famously likes to be as naked as possible as often as possible. So, I mean, did you experience those nerves off of her when she shot her cover? She your first time shooting?

[MJ Day]

Shocked. Because I was like, okay, she's probably like, you know, nervous or whatever. And she was like, do you have a smaller one?

[Adriana]

Can I show more?

[MJ Day]

In fact, I know I'm like a lot of Alena's swimsuits. I mean, we give her. You did a full range. I feel like you did a full range. You went from, like, itty bitty to, like, more, you know, like, beach friendly.

[Ilona]

Right, right.

[MJ Day]

You know, like out with the fam kind of situation. And so, I don't know, it's. It's nice to. To actually also have that range and not just shoot one specific type of look. Because I think the way we roll is that we have so many suits with us. You try something on, you probably have never put on your body before in your life. And a lot of times people are pleasantly surprised when they do try something that might not necessarily be in their bathing suit drawer, you know, for the first time, because it's either a little more editorial, a little more risque, a little more avant garde, you know, so it's fun to see that. It's fun to see yourself in that capacity.

[Ilona]

I think you have on the shoot. It's a lot of the same people around you. Like, you keep a lot of the same stylists, the same producers and whatnot, which I think creates an environment like part of a family of si. One thing I would love to know about is a photographer is how you choose photographers. I've shot with amazing ones, but there's so many photographers out there, and I've been with some where I'm like, not with you, but with other shoots where I'm like, ah, it's not my best light. How do you choose these guys to photograph these women with so many different body types, so many different looks, to really show them in their best light in something that can be pretty uncomfortable?

[MJ Day]

Yeah, I mean, that's a great question, because a lot of, you know, effort and thought is put into it. But obviously, like, the technical aspect of photography, you can't just hand anyone a camera and get a beautiful photo. There's, you know, it's an art form. And to understand light, to understand your lens, to understand your subject, to understand where the sun is at the moment, you know, you're taking that photo and what that does to shadows and how that either enhances certain attributes or could potentially, you know, not enhance them is an important thing. So, you know, you study the photographer's body of work. You see, you know, you talk to people that are out in the industry. The personalities are extremely important to us as well. So you want somebody who shares the same values as we do as the brand too, and is excited to get with, like, the variety of personalities and women and body types and everything like that that we are known for as a brand. And so you definitely do create. Like, I have a core group of photographers that I work with that are bulletproof, you know, that I know I can put in almost any situation with any type of person and get a beautiful image from them. And that's, that's so important to have. You know, it's like, it's your team, it's an extension of your team. So. But you also too want to explore new talent and work with people who have different styles than you're typically, you know, working with as well. So every year I work with a core group of photographers and then I'll, you know, dip my toe and try out somebody new or somebody that I've been, you know, wanting to work with that maybe the environment doesn't speak to their style or, you know, the type of photography that they do. And I, I see an opportunity to work them in, you know, based on our location or the people that we're shooting. And so, you know, it's a little bit of a risk sometimes, but we do a lot of research and planning and talking and stuff like that. So usually no whammies, but.

[Ilona]

Well, that's what I noticed when I shot. So my first shoot with Ben Watts, and I was definitely like, nervous mostly, like, ah, you know, we'll see if this guy can photograph a body like mine in a way that I want to. And we were on that kind of dock thing out on that island. And I remember, like, I sometimes don't like to look at the pictures because I look at them and I'm like, I'll just trust the process. But I went, I was wearing that blue suit. I went to just check his pictures out and I was like, oh my God, like already I felt so good. And I think in that moment, seeing the product already be pretty good because of his talent, it almost made me open up more and more. No matter if I was wearing the, the wet kind of or like this one boob out suit, I just knew that as he continued to go, Ben continued to impress me. And it made me open up and feel even More comfortable to show less and less. And to feel like I'm. I was like, I'm the hottest person in the world. That's how I felt when I shoot. You are with a side. Well, thank you, mj, But I think that you. The way that you're constantly behind the screen, as my sisters know, you are constantly looking at shots. Have you had to, like, hone. Even the way you give me pointers when I'm posing and you say little things. I mean, I feel like you've really had to perfect the body, the. A woman's body, and you kind of know, the lighting and whatnot. I mean, that must take years, I guess.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, it wasn't something that I was gifted with, naturally, that's for sure. You know, and you learn by working with the teams around you. And not just, you know, the photographers. It's the talent themselves, too. I've had the privilege of working with some incredible editors. You know, I came up under Elaine Farley and Diane Smith and, you know, Julie Campbell, who was the woman who started the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. And I'm a student. You know, I definitely. I don't think I know everything to this day, never will. And it's my job and it's my responsibility as a student forever. I think of this industry to keep studying, keep looking at other people's work, keep watching how other people direct and move and asking the questions and trying to understand as much as I possibly can. And I do that to this day, you know, and I also study the individual because every single person photographs differently. There isn't a formula for a successful photo, really. You have to understand your body, your comforts. You have to understand your environment, even the way the light is, like winter light is different than summer light. Greater light is different from northern light. And, like, you really need to be aware of so many different things. The type of lens that the photographer is using, even the type of the camera the photographer is using. Does the sand bounce light into the face? Is it darker sand? Does it make you look muddy? Like, there's just so many different parts of it that are specific to the moment in time where you're shooting. Unless you're in a studio, which is different, but we typically aren't shooting in studios. So it's sort of just keeping your eyes open and watching the shot and coming up with the game plan with your photographer and the individual talent to understand what you want to capture and how that person wants to be, you know, photographed themselves. And it's a it's a team effort. It's a and it's a process. It's not something that you just say I'm going to do this because I can promise you you're going to say you're going to do this. A thousand things are going to happen to make it not that easy or not what you think it's going to be. So it's about that adaptability and like letting it evolve, you know, is what makes a beautiful photo a lot of times.

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[Adriana]

And if you could distill it all down to like one tip for somebody who is taking a photo, right? Because a lot of people, like, we post on social media all day long, they're like, how do you do it?

[Ilona]

How do you.

[Adriana]

So comfortable, you know, And I'm like, we've just done it. We've been doing it. We take pictures of ourselves and have people, you know, if you had one tip for people that were uncomfortable to take a better photo, what is it? Is it an energy, energy thing? Do they have to be having fun or what? What would you say?

[MJ Day]

I mean, there's a lot of things, but I would take a million photos. Just take a million. You never know what's going to, you know, when you're doing it yourself, you have to understand, like, your own angles and, and like I said earlier, like, your environment and what that's giving you and what that's giving the photograph. So don't be afraid to explore it and try different things. Like, you're never going to get that shot. Or if you do, you know, respect in one click. I think like, Peter Lindbergh is like that one person that. Or Avida, you know, that did like one shot. But yeah, you should feel free to explore because you may think your right side is your best side. But then when you're in a light and you're in an environment where, you know, your left side looks better or, you know, oh, I don't like the way my, my butt looks. Well, I don't know, turn a little bit, you know, try a different angle. Try put the camera a different angle. Like, it's not about this formulatic approach to things. It's about exploring and having fun and really seeing, you know, what you can do and what your body can do and what your lens can do, I think it keeps it exciting. You know, if it was that easy, we'd all be photographers, right? Like, we'd all be models.

[Adriana]

True that.

[Ilona]

You definitely are always encouraging of. We'll have taken about 100 shots in one. And you're like, how'd that feel? I was like, yeah, it was good. I mean, maybe. And you're like, just do, let's do some more. Let's do some more. And so I'm always impressed by, afterwards you're going through. I mean, how many photos are you going through? And then my big question I've always wanted to learn from you is why you chose that photo for my cover. Me with my Hands up. What spoke to you about that? Because there was, like, sexier photos. I think there was other ones, but for that. That one. And I think it had such a poignant message to it as well, of me on that dock with my everything just out. So talk about how many photos you're looking through and why you chose that

[MJ Day]

one of me for your cover. I really wanted to show all of you. I wanted to show your beauty. I wanted to show your presence. I wanted to show your strength. I thought it was very important to not make it about one part of you, but all of you. And I needed that. I needed that expression and that image to really hit home what you represent to me, which is this confident, powerful, beautiful woman who owns every bit of yourself. And that's what I wanted that cover to say. And I thought it did so beautifully. And then there was just the part where there were. There were so many, you know, and it's not necessarily always about the sexiest photo either. It's about the different emotions that each photograph brings to the person viewing it and variety. And, like, I know that you're this multifaceted human being, and so it was also important for me to have that be something you walk away with. When you looked at the body of the work that we did together, you know, I love that we had, like, that really avant garde one. Shoulder, shoe, bright red lip, and the glove and the stuff. And then, you know, we had you, like, really, like, stripped down. Not figuratively, but, you know, like, bare and simplified and beautiful and then super feminine and super fashiony. And then your Olympic medal shot, like, it was sort of like, all the things that I see in you, I wanted to try and convey throughout that one photo shoot, you know, which there's a lot more we do, we can do. But, you know, it's when you have, like, a finite amount of space, too, you know, you pick. You pick those images that convey a range of emotions and a range of expression and variety. At least that's what I do when I'm looking at photos. And there are sometimes ones that get away, ones that I'm like, oh, my God, like, how. How am I not publishing this shot? You know what I mean? And it's very frustrating. The editing is the hardest part because I get really emotionally attached to images, and sometimes it takes me days just to go from 60 images to 35 images. And it's. That's my fatal flaw, because I just like, oh, I love them all.

[Adriana]

You care too much. That's your flaw.

[MJ Day]

I do. I do. And you guys are so great. Like, it's. I wish that, you know, with shots, like, a shoot isn't good, when you can do the edit too easily, when it's hard, that's a great sign. And it's a luxury problem that, you know, I happily take on.

[Alona]

I attended one of Ilona's, the COVID shoot. Olivia did the other one, and I think those ones were pretty seamless. But what are some of the things that you've seen derail a shoot?

[MJ Day]

Oh, yeah. Like this most recent one.

[Ilona]

Oh, right.

[Alona]

Gold snap.

[MJ Day]

Pretty brutal. Like, you know, we've had people miss their flights, and we've had, you know, weird. I mean, actually, I get a lot. I got a lot.

[Adriana]

Pray tell.

[Ilona]

You got a lot because you've been doing this for a while.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, I know, I know. We know how old I am.

[Ilona]

You look. Sorry, I'm not trying to be on your.

[Adriana]

You look for.

[Ilona]

First off, you look ethereal.

[Adriana]

Right? Literally.

[MJ Day]

Guys, I'm joking.

[Ilona]

I'm joking. We know.

[MJ Day]

You wear my vintage, vintage shirt.

[Ilona]

I, like, open myself to this sometimes.

[Adriana]

I'm like, 94.

[MJ Day]

It wasn't Florida's fault, by the way, that it was that cold. It was a freaking occurrence.

[Ilona]

I feel bad.

[MJ Day]

It was, like, a beautiful place, like, Captiva Sanibel Island. Like, I've actually personally vacationed there even prior to this shoot. Like, it's gorgeous. I love it. But it was, like, a freakish cold shoot, and people were hypothermic and not prepared, and everyone came in, like, with a hoodie, and that's it. But I'm not going to dwell on that. That was probably my hardest shoot. Next to my shoot in Madagascar when it literally, there was, like, people being. They called it tiring, where they. They caught these men that were accused of witchcraft.

[Adriana]

What?

[MJ Day]

While we were shooting. I mean, it's not funny. I was in therapy for a long time, but I have to laugh about it because it was so insane. We were there for, like, two weeks, and we were shooting on the beach. We were in this little place, this little area, and people were our friends there. We made friends with the locals, as we always do, because it's amazing. We go to these incredible places, and one day we were shooting, and all these people just started running down the beach with, like, shetties and other types of weapons and running by us while we were shooting. We were like, what's. What's going on? And I look down the beach and there's this big bonfire that's happening, and I say to, like, Our producer at the time who was there, it's like, what's going on? This doesn't look normal. And he was like, oh, it's a. It's a political protest. And so say, okay, we keep shooting, and more and more people keep running by and fires raging. And then all of a sudden, the producer taps me on the shoulder. He's like, you know what? He's like, I think we should wrap for the morning, everyone. Yeah, everyone should go back to their rooms, grab their passports, and we're gonna take a boat to this little island that you want to shoot at anyway. He said, please don't ask me any questions. Just do this. And I'm like, okay, let's do this. So I'm like, all right, guys, like, get your passports. Let's go. And everybody was such a good little soldier and listened to me. So we spent the next 48 hours on this little island that was just tents with one bathroom, the entire team, and it was arena shake. And we had the most beautiful shoot. And it wasn't until we got back, we found out that all these expats that lived there as a bunch of Italian and French pats that were accused by the locals of practicing witchcraft, killing children, and they took it upon themselves to break them out of jail and then burn them alive in these tires.

[Ilona]

Huh.

[MJ Day]

That was a really. That was a rough one. That was a rough one.

[Adriana]

My God.

[MJ Day]

It was, like, devastated. We didn't know how to function. I just, like, went around the table and, like, handed people Xanax because I was like, I'm sorry. Like, I don't know what. I don't know how to help this situation. Like, we were. We were stuck there.

[Ilona]

We were.

[MJ Day]

You know, there was a. There was a curfew in place, and so it wasn't until the next day that we were allowed to fly out. And it was. It was really wild and really intense. A lot of therapy. A lot of therapy for that one. It was wild. So when I'm like, ah, it's cold.

[Alona]

See, when I asked that question, I was expecting food poisoning.

[MJ Day]

I really took it there. Guys, I'm sorry. No, no, I'm sorry.

[Adriana]

That's the wildest thing.

[Ilona]

Mj, have you ran to your face a lot? Because I would read this book. Mj, you should genuinely write a book. And we will review it in our book club, because the stories you have. I mean, I don't have a story like that. Like, one time on a shoot with you, people kept getting sick, and you're like, everyone needs to take a shot of tequila. I saw a video that tequila will kill. Will kill the virus in your stomach.

[Adriana]

She's like, we need to get tequila.

[Ilona]

Dr. M.J. for M.J. is like, everyone taking shots. And I was like, this is awesome, but you need to write a book. Seriously.

[MJ Day]

It worked, right?

[Ilona]

Someone got.

[MJ Day]

Nobody got it.

[Adriana]

And you were like, we.

[Alona]

We need white.

[Adriana]

It needs to be.

[MJ Day]

Tequila is. Is scientifically proven to have medicinal qualities to it. And it kills the bad. It kills the bad bacteria in your gut. Especially when you're traveling to places like Mexico.

[Ilona]

Yeah.

[MJ Day]

And my. My original boss literally used to like, go to Mexico and she would have a bottle every morning. She would wake up and take a shot of the tequila. And at first I was like, she. Okay, like, we have problems. But she. She was like, no, you need to also do this. And sure enough, people started getting sick. And then we all started digging, you know, just one, one and done. And like, it just to like, cover your gut, like cover the, you know, whatever was going on in your stomach. And we were all okay. And I've. Ever since then. And when people started falling on that chute, I was like, this calls for tequila. It's time we should have started. Should have been prophylactically, like, we should have been doing it like, you know, from the minute we touched down. Forgot so.

[Adriana]

Love you being like, it's time. Bring out those silver skin, please. We did.

[MJ Day]

She was shooting. Alona was shooting. And I was like, take this right now and drink it. I know it's 7:30 in the morning. Just do it.

[Adriana]

Listen to me.

[MJ Day]

You were good. You were good. You let me coach you. You were a very good girl.

[Alona]

There you go.

[Ilona]

You did it.

[Adriana]

Has a very strong stomach too. So.

[Ilona]

Yeah.

[Adriana]

Any. Any further defense necessary, but would you rather mj?

[MJ Day]

I. I don't know. Yeah, maybe. I don't know. Sure. Never say never. Yeah, never say never. I don't know when I would have the time, but like, yeah, one day. One day when I have some time, maybe I'll throw them all down. Okay, so book or if there's a

[Adriana]

movie about your life. Who's playing you? Is it you?

[MJ Day]

Oh, no. Oh my God. Absolutely not. No. I don't know who should play me. I don't know.

[Alona]

I feel like you could almost do like an Emma Stone.

[Adriana]

Oh, Emma Stone. Or J.

[Alona]

Law.

[MJ Day]

Okay. Yeah, Yeah, I like that. I'll take that.

[Adriana]

Perfect.

[Ilona]

Oh, I see it. J.

[MJ Day]

Law.

[Alona]

Sure.

[Adriana]

You say J Law. You've been at SI since 1998, which is absolutely incredible. You've gotten to watch culture evolve and also drive cultural evolution. So let's talk about the eras of your career and what that has looked like since the late 90s. So your first day as an assistant. What the hell? What was that? How was that?

[MJ Day]

Like, I worked. I didn't.

[Ilona]

I.

[MJ Day]

There was a wardrobe closet that was like. I'm not sure if you guys have ever been to our offices now and see our wardrobe closet that Margot keeps. It's extremely lovely. It's, like, really aesthetically beautiful and organized. It was not that way when I started. It was literally two appliance boxes, like, you know, the giant boxes that, like, refrigerators come in two giant cardboard. Industrial strength cardboard boxes and piles of swimsuits just everywhere. And they come back from shoots, and they just dump all the shot and unshot swimsuits into these giant cardboard boxes. And it was my job. I would literally sit inside the box and just piece the swimsuits together. Like, okay, this lily fama bottom goes with this lily fama top pile, lulifama pile. And I would go every single swimsuit in the closet until everything was paired together and piled with its, you know, designer that. And then I would ship out. So, like, I. That was my day, all day, every day. And then, you know, obviously, other assistant things like coffee and getting models and bringing them to my editor's office and calling for seats at the fashion shows for her and doing all the things, occasional, you know, getting dry cleaning stuff like that. I did all. I did the things. I did the, like, quintessential fashion assistant things. And then I got to go on all the photo shoots, too, which was such. I mean, that was such a wonderful experience as, like, a young girl that really had never seen much of the world up until that point. And so I would get to go everywhere and hang with, like, the most fabulous people on the planet. It was pretty amazing.

[Adriana]

And was there a moment where you were like, oh, I'm good at this. I'm moving up. Like, what did that happen?

[MJ Day]

Well, not. Not on my account. It was funny because our. The editor that hired me, Elaine Farley, she quit middle of the shoot year. She went. She went and got another. Another job. She was at. She went to go to Cosmo. She left and went to Conde Nast, and she was running a magazine there. And the brand at that time was very siloed. You know, there was no crossover. All. It was its own little entity that worked with a bunch of dudes that didn't know what to do with it. They Were like, what do we. How do we.

[Alona]

Yeah, yeah.

[MJ Day]

You know, and it was. It was myself and then another. Another assistant, Jenny Kaplan, who was a year older than me. And we were these two young girls kind of, like, thrust into this position where we had to make sure all the shoots happened and had to bring in, you know, all of the people and do all of the things. And we did it. We did it. We went really over budget because we had no idea what a budget was. We were like, you can come and. You can come and you can come. And like, it was. It was the. Thank God it was the 90s. Cause I would be so fired if that happened these days. But back then, it was just like, the budgets were unlimited, and things were like, yeah, whatever you want to do to make it great. I was not in that role, but I was needing to just execute the issue with my colleague, with Jenny, who was also my friend. And so we did it, and people were like, oh, you guys did it. So they gave us a promotion not to run the issue, but we became assistant editors at that point and brought in a new senior editor who was like, the person. Diane Smith, who ran, you know, the swimsuit editorial issue. And we would support her and, you know, contribute. We were still very much junior, but I think that was the moment when people were like, oh, you guys can. You can handle yourselves. Like, it was overwhelming, and it was crazy. I don't know really how we did it, to be quite honest, but, you know, it was one of those situations where you're like, this is. This is what has to be done. So you put your head down, you figure it out, and you make it happen. Like, we weren't about to let it fail on our watch. So, you know, it was wild. It was the universe, you know, doing these things. And then obviously, I can remember pivotal points where, like, I had a little more to say, and, like, people would come to me and ask for my opinions. And, you know, you start to see the shift eventually, but, you know, you do something well for long enough, hopefully people notice and that's what happened.

[Adriana]

And do you have a bit of a. Like, I think my energy of. Is just sort of like, how hard can it be? I'll figure it out. Has that kind of been you, do you think?

[MJ Day]

At various points in certain aspects of

[Adriana]

the job,

[MJ Day]

I wish it was as easy as that. Like, there's definitely a learning curve for certain things, you know, like, it is a. An art form, and many, many people, like, see it that way. So understanding the art of it and the humanity of it. And on my side of it, as the leader of the brand, understanding the importance of it and what it can do was also an extremely important, pivotal moment that I'm proud to own. You know, that really it was like, let's change this. Let's do something that can affect good and change and make a difference for women and the world, really. And that was, you know, that was born out of, I think, confidence and frustration As a woman in this house,

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[Ilona]

Shop K18 mask at Sephora or get 10% off your first [e-mail] with code MAR. You've talked to me before about, I think SI was sold once or something like that, where you were kind of told, no, we don't want this sort of model on there. No, we're looking for more of that, maybe the classic look model. But you said, I think you maybe even said maybe you were gonna quit because you wanted to still show many different women's bodies. And what gave you, I guess, the. The power to be like, no, this is what I think we should showcase on these covers and not stick to the continuous, you know, one look of what a woman should be and what beauty and sexiness should be?

[MJ Day]

No, it's a belief, right? It's not a. It's not a reaction to something. It's a belief. And so if that wasn't going to be supported, then I didn't. Then I wasn't going to be a part of it because I just am a huge advocate of living in a world where, like, homogenous visual is not the norm. I. I believe it to be true that the world deserves. Women deserve to be represented in all their various forms and all their everything that makes us human and special. And it's not one. One thing. It's not one flavor. It's not one look. There is such beauty and diversity, and I don't. I'm unable to see it any other way. You know, it's just not. It's not celebrating beauty if you're not celebrating diversity.

[Alona]

Kudos for you for sticking to that. I think it's very easy to kind of stick with the status and especially if you're being told, we're trying to do this, to really put your foot down. And I think you've really helped so many women by sticking to your guns.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, I mean, this industry needs to do some work, a lot of work still. And, you know, if I can. If Sports Illustrated Swimsuit can be the brand that remains steadfast in its commitment to that, then my job is done, and I'm very happy with that. But it needs to be more than just Purcell Street Swimsuit.

[Ilona]

We need.

[MJ Day]

We need the media at large to really keep coming to the table. And when it was cool and when it was trendy and what everybody was talking about, it was really easy for everybody to do that. But. But, you know, we've seen a lot of regression in that space, and it's important, I think, to remain steadfast in your commitment to it and, you know, not just allow yourself to be lulled back into this, you know, false sense of homogenous existence. Like, it's just not. It's not. It's not what we are. It's not what people want to see. It's not. It's not real beauty. It's not real life. And people might come at me to say, well, you know, you're a fashion magazine. You know, we don't want to see real life. We want to do this. But it's like, it's not. It's not. That's not what this is about. This is about the fact that if you allow yourself to think and see things differently, you open yourself up to entirely new, fresh, beautiful perspectives that are otherwise limiting when you don't allow yourself to move in that direction.

[Alona]

Si Swim is in great hands with you.

[Adriana]

Great hands.

[Alona]

You know, hearing you talk about it, it's like a relief. You know, you could see how especially we've been talking about the regression of, you know, what we're facing today, like, could easily go backwards, but you're standing strong.

[Adriana]

Do you have a shoot that you're most proud of as editor in chief.

[MJ Day]

Different ones for different reasons. I feel like. I mean, you know, obviously, the Ashley Graham cover was, like, pivotal in the brand's evolution. Absolutely pivotal. And, you know, I love the fact that now we can talk about it, and people will be like, what's the big deal? Literally, Right? Because we've kind of made progress.

[Adriana]

It just seems like that's the norm.

[MJ Day]

Yeah, that's the norm, exactly. Back then, it unfortunately, was not the norm, and it was met with a lot of vitriol and a lot of hesitancy, and people were nervous, you know, about that because it was different. And I just remember also feeling nervous, but, like, committed, you know, and feeling very much like this is what needs to be done, and if they don't like it, we don't want them here, which is cool. So that was a liberating moment, but I'm very proud of that, because we were breaking an antiquated perspective. We were breaking a very antiquated infrastructure that existed in the. In the media at that time. And so, you know, now it's like, why wouldn't we do that? Of course, at the time, it was, like, a really big decision to do something like that, which is insane to say that out loud. It's just. It's crazy. But, you know, we've done a lot of other really cool things, too. Like your first fashion shoot in Antarctica, we shot in zero G. We had Lena Bloom, one of the first transgender models, on the COVID We have, you know, celebrated women of, you know, varying ages, like Marc the Stewart. Like, we've. What I like to feel most proud of is the fact that we've been able to continuously shift people's perspective on how they see themselves and others and what you're capable of, because being on the COVID of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is just that. But it translates into other things. When you let that. So good. You know, it's like, okay, well, if she did that, then I could do this, and here we are.

[Adriana]

Yeah, it's so good.

[MJ Day]

And I just hope, you know, I'm not claiming like that like that. Oh, we did that. But even if we affect one person like that and get them to see the trajectory of their life a little bit differently or give them the inspiration to move forward in a way that maybe they wouldn't have, then, mission accomplished.

[Adriana]

Yeah, you can claim it. I've decided you can claim it. Absolutely, 100%.

[MJ Day]

Thanks, girl.

[Adriana]

Well, we want to bring you over to a little section we like to call Try Hard. And I believe you will actually be our first guest. That Ilona will not need to explain what a try is to Ilona. Yeah, Right.

[Ilona]

You just have to explain that a try is a goal in rugby, but hopefully.

[Adriana]

Mj, you got me.

[Ilona]

We're clear here. As a prop, you might not have scored that many tries, but that's okay.

[MJ Day]

Never.

[Adriana]

Zero.

[Ilona]

There you go.

[Adriana]

There you go.

[Ilona]

So we're just gonna ask you some kind of quick fire questions and just answer as quickly or honestly. You can take your time as much as you want. My first question is, what's the best beach in the world?

[MJ Day]

You know what? I love the Jersey shore. I'm a Jersey girl. I'm sorry. The texture of the sand, the water temperature. It doesn't get too hot. It's in your backyard. If you're a northeasterner. I'm just saying, like, it is actually really good. I get really annoyed at a lot of beaches because they're like, the sand's too fine. It gets into everything. I'm a big Jersey Shore fan.

[Adriana]

Are you an enjoyer of a pork roll, egg, and cheese on the beach?

[MJ Day]

Sure am. Sure. Not on the beach. Not on the beach. Now maybe, like. Maybe like in the morning before you go to the beach, but not on the beach.

[Adriana]

Heard her. I went to real quick. I went to school with a girl from northern Jersey, and she would bring Taylor Ham back to school, and I would have it. And the first time I met someone from the Jersey shore, I was like, oh, I love Taylor Ham. They were like, we don't call it that here, please. It's pork roll. It's pork roll to you, missy.

[Ilona]

Anyway.

[Alona]

All right, mj, what would be on your family crest?

[MJ Day]

I have maybe a globe. Because, like, you know the world, and, you know, I'm a. I like to consider myself a person of the world. And then I have. I have one son who plays lacrosse, another son that plays hockey, and my husband's a doctor. So maybe like, a knife through the globe. Like, would that be a cool crest

[Adriana]

knife through the globe with a hockey stick and a lacrosse stick crossed like this, too? Yeah. Yeah, that's.

[MJ Day]

There should be, like, a bathing suit in there somewhere, but I don't know. I don't know where that would work.

[Ilona]

The globe has a bathing suit on it. Like a bikini on it.

[Adriana]

If you're a graphic designer watching this, please get to work. We need to.

[MJ Day]

Yeah.

[Adriana]

Are you a good sleeper?

[MJ Day]

I'm a great sleeper, actually. I have to be. You have to be. When you travel, you have to Be. You're so screwed if you're not a good sleeper. You have to be able to sleep anywhere at any time.

[Adriana]

Love that.

[MJ Day]

I don't sleep much, but when I do sleep, I sleep well.

[Alona]

She's knocked out.

[Adriana]

Makes sense.

[MJ Day]

I'm like a 4 to 6er.

[Adriana]

And you're good on it.

[Alona]

Six hours? Yeah.

[Adriana]

All right.

[MJ Day]

I'm doing.

[Ilona]

If I don't get nine hours, I'm.

[MJ Day]

The Oura ring does not like it. The Oura ring is like sleep, dead sleep.

[Adriana]

It's yelling at you. Yeah.

[Alona]

Maybe it's time to listen to it.

[MJ Day]

I will say, as I get older, I get a little more tired. I'm like, I don't feel as great as I used to after like a four hour day or four hour night.

[Adriana]

But yeah, I had a guy cancel a date on me last night and I was elated because I could go to bed sooner. I was like, yes, I can go sleep, dream.

[MJ Day]

Yeah. But do you. Do you go to sleep or do you sit there and like, do troll? Because I find myself gym scrolling, which is a problem.

[Adriana]

I've been working on it this year. I leave my phone across the room. It's been hard, but I've been doing it for a couple weeks now, so I have to read in bed, and reading makes me so sleepy that I fall asleep. Perfect.

[MJ Day]

Yes. Yes. I need to start doing that. Cindy, our producer, she does that. She's read like 340 books in the last year because she reads before bed.

[Ilona]

Oh, my goodness.

[Adriana]

I fell asleep before that.

[Ilona]

But it's not bad at all.

[Adriana]

I mean, what. While you're scrolling, is there any funny, like, holes you've fallen into recently on TikTok or on Instagram?

[MJ Day]

Oh, my algorithm is unhinged. Like, I don't even want to tell you what my. I don't even want. I can't.

[Adriana]

It's.

[MJ Day]

It's. It's demented. Like, it is. It is. So you would be like, she's a serial killer. Like, it's terrible.

[Ilona]

I.

[MJ Day]

Because, you know, you get one weird thing and you click on it and then you start getting served all of the other weird things, which, of course then I click on. And so now my. Guys, it's. It's horrible.

[Adriana]

It's like, you don't gotta explain it to us. I hear you.

[MJ Day]

Yeah. Don't judge me for my algorithm.

[Adriana]

That's all I have to say. I wouldn't dream of it. Not me.

[Ilona]

Before. Before we close out. Mj, can you describe your favorite swimsuit for us? A perfect Swimsuit.

[MJ Day]

Oh, okay. It would be small.

[Ilona]

Yay.

[MJ Day]

It would be small, and they wouldn't be the same, but they would be complementary to one another. So you guys could, you know, be on the beach together and be in store ready for some really, like, very nicely curated photographs. But I think it would. It would push you a little bit outside of your comfort zone, but you would feel good in it. And I think it would have, like, a little cheeky bottom. Not, like, too minuscule, but, like, you know, show off those buns.

[Adriana]

Fun.

[MJ Day]

And then something that. So that you could tan in well and adjust. So it's like you want more coverage, you can have it. If you want a little coverage, you can have it. But mostly, like, something that you feel hot and good in. And, like, I don't know, I feel like you guys. You guys look good in, like, red.

[Ilona]

Yep.

[Adriana]

Famous.

[MJ Day]

The red. Like, reds. Some, like, burnt oranges. Like, those deeper. You know what I mean?

[Ilona]

You've been loving me in oranges recently.

[Alona]

You have been in a lot of oranges.

[Adriana]

Really? Write that down, mj. Write that down.

[Ilona]

Write that down. Mj. Yep.

[MJ Day]

I'm vibing that for you.

[Ilona]

Thank you. I hope to see you so soon. Whenever I hang out with mj, it's usually an SI sense. And I'm the hottest person ever walked this planet. I've written in my journal before. I am the hottest person alive after Miami swim week one time. And that is a lot of thanks to the way that MJ and the crew make me feel. So thank you so much. And thank you so much for coming over to our place, MJ, check out MJ's work at SI. Swimsuit on IG and TikTok and a magazine rack near you. Thank you so much.

[Adriana]

Thanks for being here.

[MJ Day]

Bye, guys.

[Ilona]

Young, beautiful editor in chief. So young, Our rugby star.

[Alona]

That was such a lovely conversation, but it's time to head on into the book Nook. First up, Rebecca Yarros. Fourth wing. There's an adaptation.

[Ilona]

I've heard Michael B. Jordan's, like, producing it or something.

[Adriana]

That's iconic of him.

[Alona]

I didn't know that he's got a

[Adriana]

finger on the pulse.

[Ilona]

I'm just worried about sometimes, like, fantasy, you have to do it well.

[Adriana]

Yeah.

[Ilona]

How are they gonna do these dragons?

[Adriana]

Right.

[Alona]

That's a really great question.

[Ilona]

Like, that's a lot of dragons to do well, like, the.

[Adriana]

You need, like, the Game of Thrones

[Ilona]

or you need the Game of Thrones people producing this movie.

[Adriana]

Yeah.

[Ilona]

And also because sometimes I get the vibe of it wrong. Maybe it's not the Game of Thrones, but we need an hbo.

[Adriana]

Yeah.

[Ilona]

Or we need somebody. We need a spicy.

[Adriana]

It's got to be. That work. All right.

[Ilona]

Yes.

[Alona]

Do we know who is producing it?

[Adriana]

How about Crave Canada? I think they should do it.

[Ilona]

Let's put Crave Canada on this.

[Alona]

They've got the budget for the cgi,

[Adriana]

actually, but they got the flair for their spice. So let's get them in on this for real.

[Ilona]

Dare I say, throw my hat in the ring if there's a. They need a sexy, hot dragon rider. Yeah.

[Adriana]

That's her famously.

[Ilona]

That's me famously.

[Adriana]

Yeah.

[Ilona]

Me on set. Ooh. That's not how it happened.

[Adriana]

That's actually not how it happened in the book.

[Ilona]

Sorry. We have folks group. Okay. I am going to hope that this adaptation is good.

[Adriana]

Yeah.

[Alona]

I think there's so much love for the book and so much hype that there's. They are going to put enough money behind it.

[Ilona]

Okay, cool.

[Alona]

I hope that they also talk to the fans, like, what do you want to see? Let's focus group a little bit, you know, so that you don't end up in a spot where no one really likes it.

[Ilona]

Well, should it be a movie?

[Alona]

Hmm.

[Ilona]

Movies maybe could have a better budget

[Alona]

because then there's so many books, too. That's a really good point.

[Ilona]

Thank you.

[Adriana]

That's a really good point. I'm excited for it. I think that, like, fantasy is really easy to judge harshly when you watch it because it can easily come across as cheesy.

[MJ Day]

But.

[Adriana]

But I'm. I think enough fantasy has been critiqued so harshly, like, throughout the years that they. I hope they pull this off. Well, who's making it? Do we know?

[Ilona]

She just said. That's what she said.

[Alona]

We don't know.

[Adriana]

We don't know.

[MJ Day]

Oh, my goodness. I'm sorry.

[Ilona]

What's off campus? I've also heard that. Off campus.

[Alona]

Oh, what is off campus? Do not listen to me talk.

[Adriana]

Careful.

[Alona]

I believe there's the book right underneath that stack.

[Adriana]

Oh, my God. Is it the pink one? No, the deal. What is that?

[Alona]

The deal? That's the first book. That is Garrett and Hannah's book.

[Adriana]

Ilona. That's Garrett and Hannah's book.

[Alona]

That's Garrett and Hannah.

[Ilona]

Okay.

[Adriana]

Silly.

[Alona]

So this was the first hockey romance I ever read, actually. And so I think prime picked it up and I saw the casting's incredible.

[Adriana]

Is this the video you made me watch?

[Ilona]

Sexy hockey boy.

[Adriana]

Oh, sexy hockey boy.

[Ilona]

And what's the girl? Hannah.

[Alona]

Oh, she's a Singer.

[Adriana]

She's a singer.

[Ilona]

What are her thoughts on fan arts? In books sometimes.

[Alona]

Well, in books. Not. I'm like, leave it up to interpretation.

[Adriana]

Yeah.

[Ilona]

Oh, is this a fake boyfriend thing?

[Adriana]

Fake dating.

[Ilona]

Fake dating. Okay.

[MJ Day]

I don't.

[Ilona]

This has become her fake boyfriend.

[Alona]

So for a second. Yeah, she likes this other guy.

[Ilona]

And so who do we have as the cast?

[Adriana]

Oh, we got pictures. We just got pictures pulled up. Very beautiful people. Extremely beautiful. Jesus. God.

[Ilona]

Gorgeous.

[Alona]

They released some snippets and I'm like, really?

[Adriana]

They really did it. And so the news here is that they've already greenlit A season 2 before season 1 has aired.

[Ilona]

Yeah.

[Alona]

It's the heated rivalry of it all.

[Adriana]

Is it the heated rivalry of it all?

[Alona]

Well, I think it also huge fan base. Like, this was a massive book. And then there's a spinoff series as well. So there's four books in this series. And then the other one is four books as well.

[Adriana]

Why do you love it? Well written, good storytelling. You like the characters. Oh, my gosh, look at her.

[MJ Day]

She's freaking out.

[Alona]

Well, I also read it like Pandemic.

[Adriana]

Okay.

[MJ Day]

So I remember I read it and I was like, this is amazing.

[Alona]

Touch starved, right? Whoa, it's spicy.

[Ilona]

But.

[Alona]

And I remember I recently reread it and I was like, more spice than I remember, really. But I still, like, it's the interconnectedness of it all. Like, it's a fun series.

[Adriana]

Ilona's like, can I take this to go?

[Ilona]

Interesting. I maybe would read it.

[Alona]

I think you should. Why not?

[Adriana]

You're just not really a sports romance girl.

[Alona]

It is also college too, so it's kind of tough.

[Ilona]

What are your thoughts on that, Guys? I was reading this other book where it was college kids, and they're talking about, like, BDSM and stuff, and I

[Adriana]

was like, ah, I don't know.

[MJ Day]

Yeah.

[Ilona]

And look. Hey, I'm Ali Hazelwood Down.

[Adriana]

I love Ali Hazelwood Down.

[Ilona]

I was reading that one. I was like, I wish they were maybe professional athletes or something.

[Alona]

But, like, those stories exist, you know?

[Ilona]

I guess they do exist. I feel a little weird reading about. Yeah. College kids.

[Adriana]

And also, like, maybe just because you're not really into it necessarily, do you have to be into that type of stuff to.

[Ilona]

Yeah, I think you can just read that. Right?

[Adriana]

You can just read that, right?

[Ilona]

I guess maybe there's such a. For people in college who would read it and love it and, like, just out of college, but once you get closer to 30, I think it is a little tough to read. So if you're 24. You're like, oh, you felt just like a college kid. Now I don't feel as much like

[Adriana]

I could go back, I think for that one. Like the depth. Maybe I just didn't understand the depth of it. Like, it didn't seem as it was BDSM for sure, but it didn't seem as deep as like 50 shades of gray with like the pain and pleasure room or whatever of it all. So maybe I get it.

[MJ Day]

Red room.

[Adriana]

The red room. I need to explore more because, like

[Ilona]

a lot of explore more BDSM content, I think so.

[Adriana]

To maybe better understand. Cuz in that one, she was like, or maybe she's a student. I'm a student of the world. I'm. Give me a textbook. She was like, oh, I just like that. I don't have to. You can just tell me what to do and I don't have to, like, do it. Like, think for myself. I'm like, who doesn't want that? Like, is that that. Does that mean I'm into bdsm? I thought, I want someone to tell me what to do sometimes because I'm so in control of my life. Otherwise.

[Alona]

What?

[Adriana]

That's gross. How is that gross?

[Alona]

As a sister bds, we're not shaming anyone.

[Ilona]

We're not shaming anyone.

[Adriana]

Never shame the BDSM community ever. But.

[Ilona]

Oh, no, for real. Do what you want.

[Adriana]

No. Damn.

[Ilona]

Hey.

[Adriana]

All right. Anyway, I will be on that note.

[Alona]

I'm gonna be locked in on that series. Like, I was ready for heated rivalry before it even came out. Like, I. I read the book before and then I was like, okay, we were in Mexico City, like when the first episode dropped, and I was like, when I get back, I'm sitting down and watching it. Same thing with this. I will be sitting down and watching it.

[Ilona]

Garrett and Hannah.

[Alona]

Garrett and Hannah.

[Adriana]

All right, well, team, team. We will see everybody next week. What a conversation. Don't forget your sunscreen.

[Alona]

Thank you so much for coming over to the House of Mar, a Wave original.

[Ilona]

Be sure to watch, subscribe on YouTube and listen wherever you get your podcast podcasts.

[Adriana]

Plus follow the show on social media at House of Mar for clips and behind the scenes content. Bye.

[Ilona]

Bye.

[Adriana]

Love you guys. Don't forget your coat or get vlogged if that's what you're. Whoa.

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[MJ Day]

Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class.

[Alona]

I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh.

[MJ Day]

They're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order.

[Adriana]

Oh, sorry.

[Alona]

Namaste.

[MJ Day]

Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order.

[Alona]

1-800-contacts Spring just slid into your DMs.

[Ilona]

Grab that boho.

[Alona]

Look for that rooftop dinner, those sandals that can keep up with you. And hang some string lights to give

[MJ Day]

your patio a glow up.

[Alona]

Spring's calling.

[MJ Day]

Ross, work your magic.