Swimsuit

6 Angelic SI Swim Photos of Kelsey Merritt in the Bahamas

The Filipino-American model posed for three consecutive issues of the magazine, starting with her rookie feature in 2019.

Cara O’Bleness

Kelsey Merritt

Kelsey Merritt was photographed by Laretta Houston in the Bahamas. 

Filipino-American model Kelsey Merritt first joined the SI Swimsuit family in 2019, when she traveled to the Bahamas for her rookie brand feature with Laretta Houston. She returned to the fold the following two years, when she jetted off to the Dominican Republic and Hollywood, Fla., for the 2020 and ’21 SI Swimsuit Issues, respectively. 

In addition to her work with SI Swimsuit, the 27-year-old is known for her collaborations with Victoria’s Secret, Revolve, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Merritt is also an Instagram fashionista who regularly shares high-fashion looks, street style and more throughout her feed. 

“Brains and beauty is our favorite combo and that is exactly how we describe Kelsey,” SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day has said of Merritt. “She prioritized her education before entering the modeling space and her career has been full steam ahead ever since. Kelsey’s pride in being the first Filipino model in the SI Swimsuit Issue is matched by her commitment to sustainability and her dedication to using her platform to inform and educate. Kelsey’s infectiously warm personality makes her extremely lovable and we are so excited we get to work with a woman who is beautiful inside and out.”

While we could never pick a single favorite of Merritt’s three SI Swimsuit photo shoots, we often find ourselves drawn back to her rookie magazine feature that started it all. Below are a few of our favorite snapshots Houston captured of the model in the Bahamas.

Kelsey Merritt
Kelsey Merritt
Kelsey Merritt
Kelsey Merritt
Kelsey Merritt
Kelsey Merritt
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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara 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, Cara 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.