8 Bold and Beautiful Photos From Ashley Graham’s SI Swim Cover Photoshoot

The supermodel posed for the publication three years in a row, starting with her rookie feature in 2016.

Cara O’Bleness | Nov 11, 2023

Ashley Graham was photographed by James Macari in Turks and Caicos.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated

When she landed the cover of the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2016 as a rookie, Ashley Graham made history as the first plus-size model to land on the front of the magazine. She traveled to Turks and Caicos for the opportunity, where she posed in front of James Macari’s lens.

The model then returned to the fold the following two years for three consecutive magazine features. Her work with the brand also took her to Fiji and Nevis. Since then, the 36-year-old and her husband, Justin Ervin, have become a family of five. They share three sons, Isaac, Roman and Malachi.

At the time of her photoshoot in Turks and Caicos, Graham called the cover feature a major stepping stone for women of all shapes and sizes. She noted that as a size 14 model, she was often told she’d never be an editorial model or make it into the pages of the SI Swimsuit Issue.

“And now I'm proving everybody who ever told me that wrong. I think that’s just a statement for all the women out there who have felt ugly, who have felt fat, who have felt like they haven’t been represented. I’m representing them right now. It’s a huge encouragement to myself knowing that I’ve overcome so many different things and that these women can overcome it as well,” she stated. “I think that this is yet another huge stepping stone for, for women, my size to just be accepted as a normal average woman.”

In honor of Graham’s continued success as a supermodel, mom, author and entrepreneur, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite snaps from Turks and Caicos.

Ashley Graham — James Macari/Sports Illustrated

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Published Nov 11, 2023

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.