Model Gigi Hadid Was an Island Princess While Posing on the Shores of Hawai’i

The industry icon posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue three years in a row.

Ananya Panchal | Aug 8, 2024

Gigi Hadid was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kauai, Hawai’i. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Supermodel Gigi Hadid made her SI Swimsuit debut a decade ago, when she traveled to the Jersey Shore with photographer Ben Watts for the 2014 issue. The mom of one, who shares her daughter Khai with ex-boyfriend and singer Zayn Malik, returned to the fold the following two years, posing on the breathtaking beaches of Hawai’i, and the islands of Tahiti, both times with visual artist Yu Tsai.

“This is my third issue now,” she said following her most recent feature with the brand in 2016. “I’ve worked with the Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] team, and I know that they have really always celebrated and always loved women and make you feel really good about yourself. They don’t ask you to change.”

The 29-year-old Los Angeles native landed her first industry gig at the age of 2 when she modeled for Baby Guess. Hadid moved to New York after high school in 2013 and signed with IMG Models. Within the next couple of years, she landed some of her most major campaigns as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and the face of Tommy Hilfiger. In 2016, she was named the International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council.

Today, the repeat global Vogue cover girl is the founder of luxury knitwear brand Guest in Residence, as well as a judge on reality fashion competition series Next in Fashion.

Below are six jaw-dropping photos from Hadid’s 2015 SI Swimsuit feature in Kauai, Hawai’i with Yu Tsai.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Published Aug 8, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.