Swimsuit

7 Idyllic Snaps of the Beautiful Yumi Nu From Her Cover Photoshoot in Montenegro

The inspiring model-musician graced the cover during her second year with the issue.

Martha Zaytoun

Yumi Nu poses in front of a natural stone backdrop wearing a red beaded necklace and her dark brown hair down in a soft wave.

Yumi Nu was photographed by James Macari in Montenegro.

Montenegro is a coastal Balkans nation replete with idyllic natural beauties—including rugged mountains and bright blue waters—and ancient cities, as well—think old brick buildings and windy streets. For model Yumi Nu, it holds another significance as well: It was the site of her 2022 SI Swimsuit cover photoshoot.

The opportunity came just a year after the model made her brand debut in Tampa, Fla. It was an experience that Nu had never imagined happening for herself. She had watched the models before her find out about their cover features and think “that’s surreal for them,” she said while on the set of last year’s photoshoot. But making the cover herself was “definitely [the] biggest plot twist in my life so far,” she expressed. “Best one, though.”

Nu has paved a path in the fashion world for herself, combining hard work with her advocacy for plus-size models. Around the same time as her SI Swimsuit cover feature, the model-musician also became the first plus-size model to grace the cover of Vogue Japan. Moreover, the 27-year-old is the founder of her own clothing label, Blueki, a brand geared toward providing high-quality and ethically sourced plus-size clothing.

And, on top of all that, she is an incredibly talented model. Nu proved as much most recently for the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, when she returned to the magazine for her third consecutive feature. Below are seven photos that prove her talent and beauty from her cover feature in Montenegro. 

Yumi Nu leans on a railing overlooking the city, wearing a olive one-piece swimsuit.
Yumi Nu stands on a cobblestone street, wearing a dusty rose-colored bikini and holding a wide-brimmed hat.
Yumi Nu poses in front of a stone wall with her arms above her head in a brown halter neck bikini top.
Yumi Nu sits on top of a red patterned cushion in front of the red rooftops in the city and the mountains beyond, wearing a tie-front yellow top.
Yumi Nu stands under an ivy-covered stone archway in a black one-piece with front cut-outs.
Yumi Nu poses with a hand in her dark brown hair, wearing a brown bikini top.
Yumi Nu stands on the cobblestone street and leans against a stone wall, wearing a deep rust-colored bikini and a white lace coverup.

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!

Published
Martha Zaytoun

MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a Lifestyle & Trending News writer for SI Swimsuit. Before joining the team, Martha worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Martha loves to watercolor and oil paint, run or water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.