Swimsuit

We’ll Never Forget These 6 SI Swim Photos of Kim Petras in Los Angeles

The Grammy Award winner landed one of four covers this year.

Cara O’Bleness

Kim Petras

Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. 

Grammy Award-winning pop star Kim Petras landed the cover of the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue after her dreamy photoshoot in Los Angeles. The German singer-songwriter was captured by visual artist Yu Tsai for her feature.

“I was so excited when I got the call to be in Sports Illustrated,” Petras noted of her cover girl moment. “It’s very iconic, and a lot of very iconic people have done it before, so [it was a] big dream come true for me.” 

Petras released her first single, “I Don’t Want It at All,” in 2017, and earlier this year, she made history as the first transgender woman to win a Grammy Award for best pop duo/group performance, for her track “Unholy” with Sam Smith. The past several years have been quite a wild ride for Petras, who admitted that initially seeing her SI Swimsuit photos brought her to tears.

“I just like didn’t think I had that in me to be beautiful in a bathing suit—it’s a hard thing to do,” she said on the red carpet during the magazine’s launch event in New York City in May. “I’m just so grateful to the whole Sports Illustrated team. It was like a true dream.”

Petras donned several bold and beautiful looks for her feature, from a baby pink Barbiecore one-piece by Heavy Manners to a unique three-dimensional floral bikini top by PatBO paired with swimsuit bottom by Frankies Bikinis x Sydney Sweeney.

“[On stage] I kind of feel like I have this like persona which really gives me confidence and strength,” Petras added. “At first I wasn’t sure if I would deliver but everyone made me feel so beautiful and like I belong on the cover of Sports Illustrated.”

Below are a few of our favorite snapshots from her cover girl moment.

Kim Petras

Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Top by PatBO. Swimsuit bottom by Frankies Bikinis x Sydney Sweeney. Earrings by Alexis Bittar. Ring by Sophie Buhai.

Kim Petras

Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Swimsuit by LILY&ROSE. Earring by Jennifer Meyer.

Kim Petras

Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Swimsuit by BANANHOT. Earrings and bracelets by Alexis Bittar.

Kim Petras

Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Swimsuit by Heavy Manners. Earrings by Alexis Bittar.

Kim Petras

Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Swimsuit by Angelys Balek. Earrings by Mondo Mondo. Ring by Loveness Lee.

Kim Petras

Kim Petras was photographed by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles. Swimsuit by Natalia Fedner. Earrings by Alexis Bittar. Necklace by Logan Hollowell.

Now through Nov. 1, 100% of SI Swimsuit’s portion of proceeds from cover prints purchased here will be donated to the Maui Strong Fund, which is helping to support the people and places of Maui affected by the recent wildfires.

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Cara O’Bleness
CARA O’BLENESS

Cara O’Bleness is a writer and editor on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Prior to joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, O’Bleness loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Journalism.