Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Carol Alt says Christie Brinkley inspired her to embrace provocative style

Carol Alt initially gawked astatine the thought of modeling a G-string for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.

"There was a infinitesimal erstwhile [SI Swimsuit editor] Jule [Campbell] brought retired a G-string," Alt told Fox News Digital. "I looked astatine that G-string, and I was like, ‘There’s nary mode my dad’s going to fto maine bash that! There’s nary way. My begetter would termination me."

"And she didn’t propulsion maine – Jule ne'er pushed anybody to bash thing they were uncomfortable with," the supermodel shared. "She brought retired immoderate different bathing suits that were a small much demure that I felt much comfy with."

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT MODEL KIM ALEXIS EMBRACES AGING NATURALLY WITHOUT COSMETIC PROCEDURES

Carol Alt (left) told Fox News Digital that aft seeing Christie Brinkley (right) stone a G-string for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, she felt inspired to observe her body, too. (Getty Images)

It was different screen miss who convinced the pinup to portion down for the magazine.

"The mag came retired and I saw Ms. Christie Brinkley wearing that G-string [during] a sunset, sitting connected the beach," the prima recalled. "And it was specified a spectacular picture… Credit is due. Christie wore that bathing suit and it looked truthful beautiful. And the art, it was truthful artistic… I thought, ‘What americium I doing? I should beryllium celebrating the woman’s body.’ And it changed my caput connected galore things successful my business."

Christie Brinkley became the archetypal exemplary to look connected 3 consecutive covers of the magazine. (Stan Malinowski/Condé Nast via Getty Images)

Alt, 64, is among the galore supermodels who spoke retired in a caller documentary, "Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue." Directed by Campbell’s daughter-in-law, Jill Campbell, it explores however the founding exertion of SI Swimsuit transformed a struggling mag into a media empire, each portion discovering immoderate of the astir influential supermodels successful the manner industry.

WATCH: SI SWIMSUIT MODEL CAROL ALT SAYS CHRISTIE BRINKLEY INSPIRED HER BOLD LOOK

Campbell passed distant successful 2022 astatine property 96. Alt, the girl of a occurrence chief, said it was the no-nonsense Campbell who inspired her to vigor things up by stripping down.

Carol Alt said she disquieted what her father, a occurrence main successful New York, would deliberation of her modeling a G-string. (Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

"I came with my frilly achromatic garment up to here," said Alt, pointing astatine her cervix portion chuckling. "[SI Swimsuit] did springiness maine a small spot much spice, I person to say, successful my career. But it was due to the fact that I saw however beauteous it was. She ne'er pushed me. Jule ne'er pushed me, never, ever. I deliberation successful the end, I started pushing her, truthfully."

Alt made her SI Swimsuit debut successful 1981 successful Florida, the outlet reported. She landed the screen a twelvemonth later, aft her photograph sprout with John G. Zimmerman successful Kenya.

Carol Alt was photographed for the 1981 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit contented successful Shell Island, Florida. (John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated via Contour RA by Getty Images)

"I was frightened to decease to conscionable Jule," Alt admitted. "My bureau wanted maine to bash Sports Illustrated. They sent maine implicit to spot Jule Campbell. And successful her office, there’s each these pictures and each these covers… She took 1 look astatine me, and she said, ‘You look similar Christie Brinkley, truthful I can’t truly instrumentality you connected Sports Illustrated Swimsuit,' which was benignant of a disappointment."

Still, Campbell saw thing successful Alt, who was dubbed "The Face" of the manner industry.

Carol Alt was a sought-after supermodel who aboriginal became an writer and entrepreneur.  (B Bennett/Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)

"[Jule] said, ‘I volition instrumentality you connected the Alaskan shoot,’" said Alt. "I was like, ‘Well, that’s chill too. I’ve ne'er been to Alaska.’ That’s however I met Jule… In the beginning, she thought I looked excessively overmuch similar Christie Brinkley. And successful the end, I ended up looking similar me, and she ended up utilizing me. And successful my 2nd year, I got the cover, truthful that was beauteous quick. And it was each acknowledgment to Jule. She championed me."

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Jule Campbell (left) is seen present connected a sprout with Kathy Ireland (center) and Carol Alt (right). (Courtesy of Philip Jache)

Campbell joined the mag during the dawn of the Twiggy era, The New York Times reported. The outlet noted that Campbell’s archetypal cover, successful precocious January 1965, featured 18-year-old Sue Peterson, sporting a nude assemblage stocking and a achromatic fishnet jumpsuit, among different pieces. Middle America "blew a gasket."

"Beyond the Gaze" premiered connected June 25. (Red Barn Productions LLC)

"It’s truly absorbing from the lens of 2025 that she would person decease threats and criticism," Jill told Fox News Digital. "Some radical did not similar seeing women successful bathing suits successful a sports magazine. And they would telephone it a antheral sports magazine. But during that time, determination were truthful galore women that enjoyed this mag for the bathing suits. Even now, radical remark connected the gorgeous bathing suits and pictures."

Jule Campbell is seen present photographing Elle Macpherson successful the aboriginal years of her life. (Rob Lyons, Red Barn Productions LLC)

"She dealt with it due to the fact that she didn’t consciousness similar she was doing thing wrong," Jill shared. "She didn’t consciousness similar she was objectifying women. She was creating art. She was creating fashion. There were women successful bathing suits successful each different mag that was connected the market. There were quality pageants. So wherefore was she getting the wrath of this?"

Jule Campbell was a fierce protector of her models. (Jule Campbell's idiosyncratic collection)

"You could spot successful immoderate of the interviews erstwhile she would get this criticism," Jill continued. "She ever did this oculus rotation due to the fact that she was bushed of it. She was a moving woman. She conscionable wanted to get her occupation done. She wasn’t trying to make Playboy and exploit anyone."

Alt said that Campbell lone worked with trusted photographers, and she was fiercely protective of her muses.

From left: Vendela Kirsebom, Roshumba Williams, Elsa Benitez and Carol Alt airs backstage for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show astatine W Hotel Miami Beach connected July 07, 2023, successful Miami Beach, Florida.  (Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)

"One of the things Jule did to support the girls was to measurement close successful beforehand of the lensman and unreal she was adjusting something, styling something, oregon moving a bathing suit," said Alt. 

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Carol Alt said she skyrocketed to fame aft appearing connected the screen of SI Swimsuit. (Steve Eichner/WireImage/Getty Images)

"She would leap close successful front… And it wasn’t truly to edit thing oregon benignant something. It was due to the fact that possibly thing got a small risqué oregon a bathing suit moved, and she went successful determination and protected us. And I deliberation connected immoderate level, each of america knew that. That’s wherefore we loved Jule truthful much."

Dealing with "inappropriate behavior" wasn’t overseas to galore models. But with Campbell, things were different, Alt stressed. On an SI Swimsuit set, the models were treated with respect and the photographers were "gentlemen."

Carol Alt said she volition ever beryllium grateful for Jule Campbell's guidance connected set. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

"It was everywhere," she said astir the challenges models endured extracurricular of SI Swimsuit. 

"Whether you were going for a fitting and immoderate feline tried to grope you, oregon you were connected a sprout and immoderate feline tried to interruption into your room. There was ever an inappropriate thing happening. But I ever felt it was the mode that you handled it and extracted yourself from the concern that made that a horrifying concern oregon conscionable an anecdote successful your life."

Carol Alt attends the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 50th Anniversary Party astatine Swimsuit Beach House connected February 18, 2014, successful New York City.  (Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

"It was an anecdote successful my beingness galore times, but it ne'er got to the constituent wherever it was a horrible concern due to the fact that I was ever capable to maneuver myself out… Everybody dealt with it successful the mode that they knew best."

"But Jule… she protected the girls, protected her job, and she gave them a beauteous mag that became a implicit brand," said Alt. "That’s an astonishing gift. She had that gift."

Carol Alt makes a splash astatine Miami Swim Week 2023. (Manny Hernandez/Wireimage/Getty Images)

Alt has zero regrets astir modeling that G-string for the magazine. She said her quality catapulted her to stardom, resulting successful a palmy vocation arsenic an writer and entrepreneur. At property 62, she walked the SI Swimsuit Runway Show astatine Miami Swim Week.

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Carol Alt walks the runway during the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show during Miami Swim Week astatine W Hotel Miami Beach connected July 07, 2023, successful Miami Beach, Florida. (John Parra/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)

"I had radical coming up to maine and asking maine if I was Carol Alt, not if I was that miss connected the screen of a magazine," said Alt. "[SI Swimsuit] was 1 of the gathering blocks of my career. And I’m inactive present 47 years later."

"Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell's Swimsuit Issue" screens June 26 astatine New York City's IFC Center.