…Or lack thereof. The woman who put the “i-i-i!” in “bikini” is as stunning as ever. The only difference now is MARISA’s got the Complex stamp of approval.

Photographs by Michael Elins; Story by Jack Erwin; Styling by Anoma Ya Whittaker

MORE CREDITS »

(HAIR) DOMINICK PUCCIARELLO FOR BRYAN BANTRY; (MAKEUP) MEREDITH BARAF FOR THE WALL GROUP; (MANICURIST) CHRISTINA ZULETA AT THE KATY BARKER AGENCY USING OPI

You can't be nice all the time. How do you channel rage?

Marisa Miller: For me, anything kind of physical is a huge stress reliever. Surfing is one of the best ways. I mean, growing up in Santa Cruz, it's a huge part of the culture there. You just grow up around it. My parents met surfing, and my aunt used to be on the pro tour. So, it’s something that I’ve grown up around forever. Obviously, with work and me traveling all the time, it's few and far between that I get to do it. But it’s something that I always come back to, and the beach is my home. Even when I travel somewhere, if I’m on a beach there’s a certain level of comfort there. Oh, and boxing!

Come again?

Marisa Miller: I started boxing—it's great because no matter what you were feeling when you walked in the gym, it's completely gone when you leave. You get it all out.

Do you spar?

Marisa Miller: Yeah, sometimes. If my trainer felt he trusted the person enough. You know, not to like, knock my tooth out. [ Laughs.]

It seems like it could be risky for you. If I go out and get a black eye, I can just come back to work the next day, but...

Marisa Miller: I know, exactly. That happened when I first started training—I got popped right in the middle of my lip. It healed fine, so it was OK, but even at that point he was like, "We can't. This modeling thing is really getting in the way of your training."

What was your reaction when you were first approached about doing the body paint for SI?

Marisa Miller: I had seen it in previous issues, so I was aware of it. It’s a pretty unique experience, and they only select a few girls to do that in every issue. But it’s a challenging day in a lot of ways. Some of the suits take like, 16 hours to paint. Then there’s the obvious fact that you don’t have any clothes on. It’s a little challenging, but the end result is cool.

On a scale of 1–10, how much more prestigious is it to pose for Complex than Sports Illustrated?

Marisa Miller: Well, the thing that’s cool about Complex is it’s totally different. It’s something different for me, which is what made it really exciting for me to do.

You’re going to pass on the 1–10 rating?

Marisa Miller: I don’t think you can compare. It’s not the same thing [Laughs.]

Very diplomatic.

Marisa Miller: It’s totally different, don’t you agree?

I think we’re a little cooler than them.

Marisa Miller: Yeah. SI is very corporate. You guys are like the fun, cool people. So in that way, yes, that’s why I think it’s so different.

They don’t take you downtown.

Marisa Miller: [Laughs.] No, not at all. Home // GIRLS // COVER GIRLS // MARISA MILLER