Nigerian-American model Adaora Akubilo has lived most of her adult life in the United States of America, working as a successful model. However her popularity spreads beyond the United States; she is also popular in Nigeria, which she left at a very young age.
Her being featured in the 2012 and 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Editions has fuelled the Adaora Akubilo brand, and many of us Nigerians now hold her in high esteem.
The 24-year-old from Windsor, Connecticut, who was born to Nigerian Igbo parents, became a trending topic in 2012, when she made her first appearance in the annual publication. She drew praise from industry people who believe her physique is perfect for a swimsuit model. She hasn’t looked back since, going on to achieve much in the last year.
This year, she got another opportunity to appear in the publication. Against the backdrop of her 2012 success, Akubilo, who was photographed by Kayt Jones, clad in a Namibian flag, once again dazzled, getting tons of positive reaction from a global audience who fell in love with her a season ago.
Fondly, she’s recalled how difficult it was for her to come to terms with the fact that she did a good job with the 2012 edition. Her fights with going all-natural for the shoot had a bearing on her approach. But when she was done fighting the insecurities, the world saw an end swimsuit product that they liked.
Akubilo has always been a sweet, sexy editorial girl. Her appearances in Essence, Glamour, and CosmoGirl among other leading fashion magazines, is embedded in why and how he’s excelled in the two consecutive Sports Illustrated campaigns. She joins a long list of well-known public figures including fellow Nigerian model Oluchi, and Tyra Banks, Beyonce, Kate Upton, Jessica White, Shakira, Naomi Campbell, Roshumba Williams, to have featured in the highly patronised publication.
Her career started in 2007, after she failed to win Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Model Search competition, since then Akubilo has slowly built a solid reputation that has got her to work for leading brands like Mary Kay, Ray Ban, Target, Abercombie and House of Dereon.
But her recent worldwide appeal hasn’t come without controversy. Her critics, mainly a section of the Nigerian press has said her posing semi nude in the 2013 edition was “Un-Nigerian”. They’ve suggested most of her images are extremely provocative and raunchy.
She’s hit back and insisted her photos are done in a ‘tasteful’ way. “I’m not out there, boobs all out. Like I’m being a little coy with it, you know, I’m kind of like hiding it a little bit. I’m hiding my boob; it’s not all out there like hello. No one knows what my nipples look like,” she told cultureshocknigerians in an interview.
“I would never compromise myself. If I wasn’t comfortable doing it and if I felt like I was in some way doing something that would embarrass my family, I would never do anything that would embarrass my family or myself for that matter.
“So nudity done in a tasteful way, and if you’re comfortable, God created these bodies of ours, you know, I’m just celebrating it and getting paid at the same time so that’s a good thing”.
The attention she’s got may be enough to secure her a third splash in S.I 2014.
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