Brooks Nader’s Crystal Bikini From Bermuda Was Her Most Daring Main Character Moment

The SI Swimsuit staple and former cover girl sparkled (literally) in the sand this year.

Brooks Nader / SI Staff

Brooks Nader never shies away from a fashion risk—and during her 2025 SI Swimsuit photo shoot in Bermuda, she proved (once again) that she was born for the spotlight.

Brooks Nader was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by It’s Now Cool. Top by JÉBLANC. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Shop the look

The seven-time brand star stunned in a glittering crystal bikini look that was equal parts daring, radiant and unmistakably main character. The 28-year-old, who was photographed by Ben Watts for the shoot, layered a Jéblanc Crystal Chandelier Bralette over gunmetal string bottoms from It’s Now Cool, making for one of the most unforgettable pairings in this year’s issue.

Brooks Nader was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by It’s Now Cool. Top by JÉBLANC. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

The dazzling top featured over 200 hand-beaded crystals and was designed to drape to the body like jewelry. With its beaded halter and shoulder straps and delicate fringe detail, the bralette shimmered in the Bermuda sunshine and added an ultra-glamorous twist to the shoot’s beachy, windswept palette.

The low-rise, super cheeky bikini bottoms delivered a sleek contrast in luxe gunmetal metallic lurex. The entire look felt sculptural and powerful—but still playful and effortless, like all of Nader‘s best fashion moments.

Brooks Nader was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by It’s Now Cool. Top by JÉBLANC. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Styling

SI Swim fashion editors Liz Wentworth and Margot Zamet styled the look with the shoot’s ethereal-glam aesthetic in mind: think sandy textures, natural light and bold silhouettes that balance feminine edge and soft sensuality. Nader’s tousled honey-blonde waves and glowing, bronzed glam tied the look together.

Brooks Nader was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Top by JÉBLANC. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Of course, this isn’t her only standout moment of the season. The Baton Rouge native recently graced the runway in a couture Raising Cane’s gown at New York Fashion Week and landed the September/October cover of Maxim, where she opened up about growing up in the South, taking risks in the industry and balancing it all with her new reality series Love Thy Nader. The show, which follows her and her sisters, Sarah Jane, Grace Ann and Mary Holland, debuted last month on Freeform and Hulu.

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SI Swimsuit journey

As a SI Swimsuit veteran, Nader’s journey with the brand is just as inspiring as her wardrobe. She first joined the franchise in 2019 after winning the annual Swim Search open casting call.

View Nader‘s best SI Swimsuit moments here.

Since then, the Dancing With the Stars alum has traveled the globe with the team—posing in Montenegro, Mexico, Bali and beyond—and landed a solo cover in 2023 after a shoot in the Dominican Republic. Last year, she joined 26 icons for the 60th anniversary Legends spread, officially cementing her title as an SI Swimsuit legend.

View behind the scenes photos from Nader‘s 2025 Bermuda shoot here.

And, with her new era of reality TV and her family climbing the ranks of Manhattan’s most famous, she’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

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