Victoria’s Secret Puts Controversial Model on Cover of Swim Catalog

In a fashion industry brimming with scary-skinny models, Victoria’s Secret has always stood out for their usage of beautiful faces with healthy-looking bodies, but the lingerie brand came under fire in 2011 when one of its Angels, Candice Swanepoel, appeared at a VS event looking what ABC News described as “alarmingly thin.”

Since then, the 24-year-old South African native does not seem to have put on any weight, yet on Friday it was revealed that she is the new cover girl for their 2013 Swim Catalog. In the photo, Swanepoel is undeniably stunning, with her blue eyes piercing the camera and her cleavage on display, but it is interesting that her controversial figure has been cropped out … or maybe it’s so we focus on the bikini top.

Did Victoria’s Secret do it on purpose to avoid more criticism? The company responded to omg! with no comment on the matter.

Either way, Swanepoel is excited for the honor, calling it one of the biggest highlights of her career, which began with VS in 2007. “It feels amazing being on the cover of the Swim catalogue!” she said in a press release. “Before I was a model, I used to see Gisele [Bundchen], Tyra Banks and all of those iconic women on it. It is amazing that a little South African girl can get on the cover.”

After outrage over her itsy-bitsy size erupted in March 2011, Swanepoel insisted that her hectic schedule is the reason as to why she is so thin, as well as her “obsession” with boxing. “This year my problem has been more putting the weight on and getting muscle on because it's been really busy,” she told ABC News. “I've been traveling around like crazy. I get skinnier if I'm very busy."

The 2013 Swim Catalog – the first of four this year – also features Miranda Kerr, Erin Heatherton, Doutzen Kroes, and Karlie Kloss.

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