Ilona Maher’s Chocolate Brown Asymmetrical Swimsuit Is the Picture of Luxury Beachwear

The rugby player wore the two-piece on the set of her SI Swimsuit photo shoot in New York.

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

When it came to styling Ilona Maher for her digital Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, the brand fashion editors had a few objectives. For one, they had a nautical aesthetic in mind. The photo shoot took place in Bellport, New York, a coastal town on Long Island. The backdrop was all bright green marshes, dark blue waters and sand beaches. The swimwear—which included some stripes and other coastal detailing—was chosen, in part, to reflect that.

But that wasn’t their only motivation. There was an even greater impetus behind the swimsuits that the team chose for Maher’s debut feature. They—and she—wanted the chance to show off her muscular form. The styles chosen reflect that choice. In the swimwear that the 28-year-old wore on set, she had the chance to flaunt her hard-earned muscles.

It wasn’t the first time that Maher has expressed a desire to celebrate her form (and it certainly won’t be the last, either). Over the past few years, the professional athlete has built a platform dedicated to celebrating her form—and encouraging others to appreciate their own bodies, too. After years of struggling with her own body image, Maher learned to love her form—the muscles, her strength, etc.—through the game of rugby. It was through her sport that she came to appreciate her natural body (and particularly the aspects that used to trouble her).

During her stint on Dancing With the Stars this fall, Maher made choices in the design of her costumes that, like her swimwear on the SI Swimsuit set, were intended to celebrate her form. Early on in Season 33, she declared a desire to show off the muscles that allowed her to perform both on the rugby pitch and the dance floor. Throughout the season, she did just that.

But it’s really her swimwear fashion that we’ve come here to talk about today. As we mentioned, the picks were designed to complement her form—and they did just that. And while each was as fantastic as the last, there was one look in particular that we especially appreciated. The following asymmetrical set from Myra Swim was a flattering pick to say the least, and a beautiful complement to the natural backdrop.

Myra Swim Enzo Top, $120 and Rio Bottom, $110 (myraswim.com)

Ilona Maher was photographed by Ben Watts in Bellport, New York. Swimsuit by Myra Swim. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

The chocolate brown tone of this two-piece set combined with its stunning fit—the asymmetrical top and ruched bottoms—make for one incredible swimsuit.