Top 30+ must-see photos of Martha Stewart over the decades
Martha Stewart has been a mainstay in the media for more than four decades. Her name is synonymous with style, elegance, and top-tier quality. Her knack for crafting, cooking, and entertaining paved the way for lifestyle experts and influencers alike.
That's why we've collected these iconic photos of Martha Stewart over the years. From magazines to homewares, Stewart built an enviable empire created to help people live more beautiful, inspiring lives. Plus, she always shares the products that she loves, which makes her a trusted trendsetter.
Far from just a picture of perfection, the New Jersey native has faced both triumphs and trials. Despite her professional and legal setbacks, the 83-year-old entrepreneur has managed to sustain her popular brand and public image over the years. In fact, her 2024 Netflix documentary, Martha, pulled the curtain back on her personal life and what propelled her unmatched success and iconic status as the first self-made female billionaire in the United States.
From vintage snapshots to iconic moments, take a peek at these photos of Ms. Stewart over the years.
1940s
1940s
A young Martha is pictured here with her mother, Martha Kostyra. Martha grew up as the second-oldest child in a family of six children in Nutley, New Jersey.
Circa 1950s
Stewart got her start as a model during her teenage years. According to her website, she turned to modeling to make extra money. She did this throughout the 1950s and 1960s and appeared in several magazines, campaigns and television commercials.
1961
In 1961, Martha Kostyra (aka Martha Stewart) attended Barnard College in New York City. She was named one of Glamour's 10 Best-Dressed College Girls, wearing a striking wool coat and gloves.
Early 1960s
Martha is pictured here holding a Wall Street Journal newspaper while walking down the street.
1975
This photo from 1975 shows Martha teaching her daughter Alexis how to make homemade pasta in their Westport, Connecticut home.
1976
Prior to becoming a cultural icon, Stewart was a well-known and successful caterer in Connecticut. The mogul and businesswoman is pictured in a kitchen with a serving tray of tomato appetizers.
1976
Here Stewart is holding a basket of eggs from a chicken coop on the grounds of her home in Westport, Connecticut.
1976
The unofficial queen of lifestyle lays out pasta on a wooden board atop a table in her kitchen in Westport, Connecticut.
1980
Stewart and her then-husband, publisher Andy Stewart, outside their home in Westport, Connecticut.
1980
Here, Stewart is pictured spending time with her sweet Persian kitten in the backyard of her home on March 24, 1980.
1980
The author and her then-husband, publisher Andy Stewart, can be seen here baking in their kitchen.
Early 1980s
Martha Stewart is also an artist. She's shown painting a mural on a wall in what appears to be her home. This is a nod to her early lifestyle branding and DIY skills.
1989
A fresh-faced Martha Stewart is pictured here at a Hollywood movie premiere in 1989.
1990
In this photo, the mogul addresses the Junior League of Chicago at the Martha Stewart Luncheon on November 12, 1990 in Chicago.
1990
Here she is enjoying a sweet treat during the "Let Them Eat Cake" National Pastry Competition at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
1991
Stewart decked out in a classic black sheath dress during a Lenox Hill Hospital benefit at Bulgari Jewelry Store in New York City.
1995
Say Cheese! Stewart smiles brightly at the the 1995 National Association of Television Program Executives Conference at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.
1997
Stewart was a contributor to the CBS This Morning news program from 1997 to 2004. She provided lifestyle segments on entertaining, cooking, gardening and decorating.
1999
Here she rings the opening bell to begin trading at the New York Stock Exchange on October 19, 1999. At the time, she was the head of the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire of television, magazines and housewares.
2004
Stewart smiles as she leaves Federal Court in Manhattan on July 16, 2004. She was sentenced to five months in prison following her conviction for making false statements around her sale of ImClone stock in 2001.
2005
Stewart boards a private jet with her daughter Alexis Stewart at Greenbrier Valley Airport on March 4, 2005 after being released from Alderson Federal Prison Camp in Lewisburg, West Virginia. Stewart completed a five-month sentence at the prison.
2005
Stewart is applauded by her magazine staff as she arrives on her first day back to work at Martha Stewart Living in New York City on March 7, 2005, just days after her incarceration.
2005
In 2005, Stewart was focused on rebuilding her brand and public image, which included her own syndicated daytime talk show, The Martha Stewart Show, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, a spin-off of Donald Trump's reality show, as well as a book, The Martha Rules, outlining her business acumen. Popular TV producer Mark Burnett was instrumental in both television projects.
2006
Martha Stewart signs her book titled, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook while at the NBC Universal Booth at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) on January 24, 2006.
2017
Snoop Dogg with Stewart at the 2017 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, California. The pair formed a friendship that led to numerous personal and professional collaborations including Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party, which aired on VH1 for several seasons starting in 2016.
2020
Stewart attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 09, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.
2023
The quintessential homemaker on the Today Show, celebrating her Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover on May 15, 2023. She was 81.
2024
Stewart at Netflix's Martha premiere at The Paris Theater on October 21, 2024 in New York City.
2025
Stewart is seen during her The Martha Stewart Podcast in a street window at the Rockefeller Center Building in Manhattan on June 25, 2025 in New York City.
