Swimsuit

8 Gorgeous Photos of Jessica Perez in Panama

The model was discovered in an SI Swimsuit model search program in 2011.

Ananya Panchal

Ariel Meredith and Jessica Perez take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Jessica Perez isn’t just a two-time SI Swimsuit model, she’s also a businesswoman. Perez launched her app, Tycoon, in 2015 to help models and freelancers keep track of their money and invoices.

Perez participated in an eight-candidate SI Swimsuit model search program in 2011 and was voted the winner. She returned to the issue as a rookie in 2012, working with photographer Bjorn Iooss in Panama. The following year she traveled to Chile for a photo shoot.

“Wow, the experience in Panama has been amazing. The weather has been spectacular, sunny. The water here is so clear you can really see the bottom of your feet and it’s a really, really, lush country,” she said at the time. “We’ve been flying in helicopters, in and out of islands. You have these huge windows you can see everything that you could possibly want to see which in our case was the nicest water.”

Perez added that she liked Iooss’s style of snapping photos because he offered a lot of creative direction and “helpful suggestions.”

“Everyone’s been so kind and really good energy,” the Costa Rican-born model continued. “I think everyone gets along really well on set. Bjorn really made me feel comfortable so I was able to let loose and do my thing. I’ve had a lot of fun on this trip. It’s been one of my favorites teams to work with by far.”

Here are eight of our favorite photos from Perez’s photo shoot in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

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Ananya Panchal

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a NYC-based Lifestyle & Trending News writer at SI Swimsuit. Before joining the Swim team, the Boston University Alum worked for culture & entertainment beats at Bustle, The San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When Ananya is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, she can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast.