The 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue was unveiled on Monday, and four dynamic superstars grace this year’s highly anticipated cover. The brand tapped mogul Kim Kardashian, singer Ciara, model/activist Maye Musk and model Yumi Nu who all posed as the ultimate (and empowering) beach babes for the iconic publication.
Last year, SI Swimsuit broke boundaries, casting rapper Megan Thee Stallion, transgender actress Leyna Bloom, and tennis champion Naomi Osaka as its cover models. Always one to promote body and age diversity, the stars this year span in ages from 25 (Nu) to 74 (Musk).
Kardashian commented on being a part of the publication at age 41, telling the outlet she remembers when the magazine featured “really young girls” back in the day. “I don’t want to date myself or sound old. But in my 40s? That’s crazy! I never thought in a million years that I would be shooting one myself.”
For her cover, the mogul took the opportunity to not only wear her own SKIMS swim pieces (which she also modeled in the SKIMS campaign), but she put her own styling spin on her SI look, pairing it with opera gloves, all in a matching beige hue.
Photographed by Greg Swales in the Dominican Republic, The Kardashians star also worked a few futuristic Balenciaga pieces throughout her photoshoot, as well as a tongue-in-cheek wet T-shirt reading, “My lawyer can beat up your lawyer.” (Kardashian passed the baby-bar in December of 2021.)
“We shot this back in January and it’s been so hard to keep this cover a secret,” Kardashian shared on Instagram. “For the location we went back to one of my favorite places in the world, the Dominican Republic! It’s such an honor and a dream to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.”
Writing a letter to her younger self for the publication, Kardashian expressed, “It’s easy to say to just ignore the criticism, but another thing you’ll learn is that at some point it will click in your head that it’s not about you anymore. It’s about family. It’s about helping other people. For years you’ll be putting yourself out there.”
Her letter continued, “But you’re going to become a more private person and you’re going to come to realize that the way to get your story out there — the actual narrative, the truth — isn’t by engaging but by doing.”
Yumi Nu became the first Asian curve model to be featured in SI Swim in 2021. This year, the Japanese-Dutch singer-songwriter, model, and entrepreneur says she couldn’t “sleep, breathe or think straight” when she found out she was going to be on the cover.
“I never dreamt of this because I didn’t know that I could,” she wrote on Instagram of her cover shoot, photographed by James Macari in a Michael Costello x REVOLVE cutout swimsuit in Montenegro. After thanking SI Swim editor MJ Day and the rest of the SI Swimsuit family, Nu added, “I’m so honored to make history with you.”
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, founder, and CEO of Beauty Marks Entertainment, Ciara stunned in a leopard-print LaQuan Smith one-piece for her debut cover, photographed in crystal-clear waters, adorning a straw cowboy hat, with her hair blowing in the wind. The 36-year-old performer and mother of three was photographed by Ben Watts in Barbados.
“This dream of mine to be on the cover of @SI_SwimSuit finally came true! Truly proud to be on the cover of such an Iconic Magazine and to join the elite list of women that have come before me!” the singer posted on Instagram.
Her husband, football quarterback Russell Wilson, expressed his pride on social media writing, “You are not only the most beautiful woman in the world, but your heart, your kindness, your love for others, your ability to make the world dance, you’re a big time CEO, an incredible wife and mother! You Inspire me! There is nothing you can’t do! Worth more than Gold! I love you baby! Congrats Cover Girl!”
Musk, who’s an author, dietician, activist, and mother to Elon Musk, was photographed by Yu Tsai modeling a Maygel Coronel swimsuit in Belize. “I am so excited to be on the cover of @si_swimsuit at the age of 74. It’s about time!🤩,” she expressed on Instagram.
The 2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue lands on newsstands May 19.
