Editor’s Letter: 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is no longer just a single publication. It is a movement that celebrates self-acceptance, personal evolution and the boundless definition of beauty. This year we continue to prove that empowerment is not a trend. It is our foundation.

Our four cover models—Hilary Duff, Alix Earle, Tiffany Haddish and Nicole Williams English—redefine what you might expect from the SI Swimsuit Issue, and that’s exactly what makes this moment so exciting. The goal is never sameness. It’s the opposite. These women possess relevance, resilience and range that extend far beyond what the world expects of them.

Tiffany’s raw and deeply human story has been a catalyst for a career rooted in both joy and honesty. Alix has grown up in the public eye and transformed access into influence. Nicole represents something equally powerful. She has embraced authentic evolution, believing in her journey even when the path wasn’t obvious. Hilary’s career arc is its own form of quiet rebellion, in which she continues to reinvent herself, leaning into each season with confidence, humor and grace.

These four women are part of a powerhouse collective of 34. Each of those models offers a reminder that there is no single blueprint for success or happiness. And that isn’t limiting. It’s freeing.

There is so much about the evolution of SI Swimsuit that I only could have dreamed of. We are continuing to expand the vision and the boundaries of what a media platform can be. We’ve partnered with Hulu to produce and broadcast our runway show next month. We’ve launched a twice-weekly newsletter (sign up at swimsuit.si.com/newsletters), we will have loads of Swimsuit content on SI TV, and we’ll be rolling out a podcast on the Dear Media network. We’ve also formed a partnership with shopltk.com, which will make it easier to purchase the looks from our shoots.

As for the women we’re featuring: We have curated a group of women that include Olympic and Paralympic medalists and cultural forces. We took first-timer Jocelyn Corona home to Mexico for a shoot. We welcomed back old friends like Molly Sims, who last appeared for us in a bikini in 2006 and has spent the intervening two decades building a beauty line and launching a successful podcast.

Opportunities to work with these women are a reminder that we’re not just choosing them. They’re choosing us. And they’re not showing up only for themselves—they’re showing up for all of us.

Female comics? Yes. Elite athletes? Absolutely. Curves? Always. This issue isn’t about checking boxes. It’s about opening doors.

It’s also a reminder that there is no expiration date. No rulebook. That evolution looks different for everyone, and that’s exactly what makes it powerful.

All the models in this issue have taken a unique path to get here. And their journeys—everything they required, every lesson they taught—are exactly why these women belong.

Maybe that’s the point—not just to celebrate when you arrive, but to recognize the value of how you got there. Because both matter.