Swimsuit

Camille Kostek Rocked Itty-Bitty Crochet Bikinis in the Dominican Republic

The SI Swimsuit star first posed in the Caribbean country for the 2020 issue.

Cara O’Bleness

Camille Kostek

Camille Kostek was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. 

A member of the SI Swimsuit family since 2018, Camille Kostek was a co-winner of the brand’s first Swim Search open casting call that year. The 32-year-old Connecticut native returned to the fold the following year, when she landed the cover of the magazine after a dazzling photo shoot in Kangaroo Island, Australia, with Josie Clough.

Kostek has posed for the magazine each year since her brand debut, traveling to the Dominican Republic (twice!), Hollywood, Fla., and the U.S. Virgin Islands with the publication. The former NFL cheerleader and television personality spoke with us during Miami Swim Week last summer about the immense growth she’s experienced in recent years working with SI Swimsuit. 

“I feel like I’ve personally grown a lot through the years with this brand and on this runway because I was so scared to walk [the first time] …,” she stated. “It wasn’t because of anybody else. I realized it was because of the insecurities you kind of grow up with.”

Though being in the public eye can open one up to scrutiny, these days, Kostek is confident in who she is and uses her platform to encourage other women to love themselves just as they are.

“It all starts with the mind. It all starts with just that first step,” Kostek said of her self-love philosophy. “That first moment where you’re like, ‘I’m loving her.’ You free yourself from these fears and these things that are holding you back from abundance of life. Life is so short. Embrace the body that you’re given.”

Below, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite photos from her 2020 SI Swimsuit feature in the Dominican Republic.

Camille Kostek

Camille Kostek was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus.

Camille Kostek

Camille Kostek was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus.

Camille Kostek

Camille Kostek was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus.

Camille Kostek

Camille Kostek was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus.

Camille Kostek

Camille Kostek was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus.

Camille Kostek

Camille Kostek was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus.

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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara 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, Cara 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.