^{Ariel Meredith, SI Swimsuit 2009
Uploaded by sportsillustrated. - Have a look at more lifestyle videos.}Ariel Meredith, SI Swimsuit 2009

Ariel Meredith 1986 Born in Shreveport, Louisiana 2008 Signs with Ford Models in New York, and Elite Models in Milan and Paris AUG 2008 Trace magazine features Meredith as a rising star SEP 2008 Debuts at the spring Vera Wang show in New York; also walks for Diesel, L’Wren Scott, Milly, and Baby Phat 11 SEP, 2008 USA Today follows Meredith as she takes on New York Fashion Week Story» SEP 2008 Walks the spring Aquilano e Rimondi, Brioni, D&G, La Perla, Elie Saab, and Junya Watanabe shows in Milan and Paris 2008 Models for H&M catalog 2009 Becomes one of the faces of D&G for spring, alongside Tanya Dziahileva, photographed by Mario Testino Place of Birth: Louisiana, USA Height: 5'10.5" ; 179cm Measurements: (US) 32-24-34 ; (EU) 81-61-86 Dress Size: (US) 2 ; (EU) 32 Shoe Size: (US) 10 ; (EU) 40 Mother agency: unknown Agencies: Ford Models - New York Elite Model Management - Milan Elite Model Management - Paris Meredith is one of 19 models frolicking in the surf in this year's edition. Her mocha skin shines in ample silver jewelry, a light dusting of sand and a barely-there bikini so hot it's certain to set fire to grocery checkout-line shelves. The Shreveport native appears in two photos in the magazine. The pictorial earns her a coveted place in a small, elite sorority of SI swimsuit models. Fellow members of this sisterhood of the string bikini include Trya Banks, Heidi Klum, Cindy Crawford, Bar Refaeli, Brooklyn Decker and -- believe it or not -- a few women who actually play sports, Serena and Venus Williams among them. In addition to the printed page, Sports Illustrated posts dozens of outtakes from the shoots on its Web site. Last year, the site got 500 million hits the first day the pics were posted. This is serious exposure, and it's not a gig open to every model. Swimsuit models are thin but must have curves. "We need girls who aren't anorexic-looking and aren't only going to fit into size 0 runway clothes," said Diane Smith, senior editor of the issue. These models also must have serious self confidence. Meredith is a 5-foot-10½-inch size-2, and nearly every inch of her is subject to public scrutiny in this spread. Smith said Meredith had more than just beauty going for her. "When I met Ariel, I thought she was unmistakably perfect for the swimsuit issue," Smith said. "We're always trying to push the limit, and we need girls who are really game adventurers, and Ariel has such a great attitude. I thought, here's someone who will jump on Mayan ruins." Meredith flew to Mexico in October for the shoot near Tulum on the Mayan Riveria. The photographers, models and makeup artists set up shots on pristine beaches and icy blue lagoons, at tiny cantinas and nature preserves. "It was great and I was willing to just dive in and try to get the best possible shots," said Meredith, reached by phone in New York between casting calls for Fashion Week, which opens Friday and ends Feb. 20. For the biggest week in American fashion, she's already booked for the Nicole Miller show, and the rest of her schedule is filling up quickly. Meredith showed up on Fashion Week's runways for the first time last fall. After walking for Vera Wang, Milly and Nicole Miller in New York in September, she was off to Europe, where she modeled in eight shows in Milan, including heavy hitters Dolce & Gabbana. The designers loved her look, casting her in an ad campaign, which appears in the glossiest of glossies around the world. Since then, her career has hit the accelerator. Meredith just flew back from the Maldives, where she was shooting a campaign for Swedish fast fashion company H&M. She's also recently posed for J.Crew and Ann Taylor Loft. On the phone, Meredith, not surprisingly, sounded tired. "I'm just trying to have fun with it all," she said. "But now I have to go, I've got a casting."