7 Magical Photos of Emily DiDonato in the Sand Dunes of Namibia

The mom and skincare cofounder has been featured in the magazine six times.

Emily DiDonato was photographed by Kayt Jones in Namibia.Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Emily DiDonato is a household name at SI Swimsuit. The model made her debut in 2013 and was featured in the magazine four years in a row—traveling to Switzerland, Hawai’i and Turks and Caicos—before taking a little break. The mom of two, who shares her young kids with husband Kyle Peterson, returned to pose for the magazine in 2020, when she was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Saratoga, Wyo. Her most recent appearance was with Anne Menke in Sacramento in ’21.

“There are these standards that are kind of put on us to look a certain way,” DiDonato said about what she wish she knew in her early modeling days. “I know that it’s so hard to not let them consume you and hard not to think about them all the time, but they take up so much mental and emotional space and just keep you down. If you allow yourself to free up that space, you’ll find out how much you’re capable of.”

The 32-year-old, who is best known for her years of work as the face of Maybelline, is also the cofounder of Covey, a minimalist skincare brand. She launched the brand in 2021 with the goal of creating a no-fuss, curated routine that works for all skin types.

“When you start a business and are building a business, there are so many other people you need to build the business,” she said. “Be curious, ask questions and make sure you really know the people that are working on the world you are creating with your brand.”

Below are seven of our favorite photos from her debut SI Swimsuit photoshoot with Kayt Jones.

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

Kayt Jones/Sports Illustrated

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