Every year, one Swimsuit decision trumps all others. What is our cover? What is the first thing people will see when they pick up the issue, the singular image that projects beauty and fantasy, that healthy bit of escapism from the dreary days of winter? We sift through tens of thousands of images, looking for the perfect pose. The perfect light. The perfect moment. The perfect story.
It sometimes feels like the debate is never ending—and it might be if we didn’t have a deadline and an issue to put out. So we make a final decision, choose a cover.