Desert Rose

Kate Upton on being one of the most well-known women in the world, adventures in Israel, and her next, equally unexpected chapter

- Priya Rao

Since its inception in 2000, the Maxim Hot 100 has celebrated a bevy of powerful women, from models-of-the-moment like Stella Maxwell to pop singers such as Taylor Swift and last year’s No. 1, modeling powerhouse Hailey Baldwin. But perhaps no one has exuded Americana like this year’s winner, supermodel Kate Upton. Like her doppelgänger Marilyn Monroe, the 26-year-old is a blonde bombshell if there ever was one, complete with enviable curves, a sweet smile, and, remarkably, a good old-fashioned work ethic. When told that she had nabbed the top spot on this year’s list, for instance, Upton, who is usually outspoken, tells Maxim in a very measured, soft voice, “You know, I work really hard on myself: on feeling good, working out, being strong. Being number one on the Hot 100 is a little reward for all of the hard work.”

Modeling may have seemed inevitable for the St. Joseph, Michigan born Upton, but that’s hardly the case. Though her great-grandfather was Frederick Upton, the Whirlpool scion, and her uncle is U.S. Representative Fred Upton, the blonde beauty wasn’t just some heiress who rested on her laurels. She got scouted unexpectedly at age 12, while leaving a Florida horse show (her family moved to the state in 1999). “I was a horseback rider, so growing up around the barn, you don’t really think of yourself being in the fashion industry,” she muses.