We’ll Never Forget Birthday Girl Ashley Graham’s Debut, Cover Shoot in Turks and Caicos

The SI Swimsuit icon made history with the franchise in 2016.

Ananya Panchal | Oct 30, 2024

Ashley Graham was photographed by James Macari in Turks & Caicos. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit icon Ashley Graham turns 37 today so we’re throwing it back to the photo shoot that started it all. The Nebraska native made her debut with the brand in 2016 and made history as the first plus size model to land on the cover of the magazine. It was a truly spectacular moment that made waves through the fashion and modeling industries, and a photo shoot that we will look back on with super fond memories, forever.

She was photographed by James Macari in Turks and Caicos for her cover feature, and returned to the fold the following two years, traveling to Fiji with Yu Tsai in ’17 and Nevis with Josie Clough in ’18.

“It’s one of my most memorable castings. [Graham is] so beautiful and yet she was one of the most impassioned and articulate people who has ever come through my doors. We were just so excited to be in each others’ presence,” SI Swimsuit editor in chief MJ Day said at the time. “She’s a champion for all women. There’s no denying that Ashley Graham brings something different to the table. It’s exciting to meet someone who can totally handle this moment, take it, and amplify it, all because of who she is and how she celebrates herself.”

Today, the supermodel is a staple on runways and in high-fashion campaigns, but her true passion, and where she creates the biggest difference, is in empowering women to chase their dreams and embrace their bodies. The mom of three, who shares her boys Isaac, Roman and Malachi, with husband Justin Ervin, is the cohost and executive producer of Side Hustlers, a reality competition series in which she and Emma Grede mentor young female entrepreneurs and help them turn their hobbies outside of their day jobs into dream careers.

Graham is also the author of A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like and
A Kids Book About Beauty. She hopes to take her decades of experience and help more young models in the early stages of breaking into modeling, which can often be an unfair and challenging industry to navigate. Her goal is to empower them to embrace their individuality and build resilience, redefining beauty standards and promoting body positivity along the way.

Below are six stunning and memorable images from the birthday girl’s 2016 SI Swimsuit debut and cover shoot with James Macari in Turks and Caicos.

James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Published Oct 30, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.