Why Camille Kostek’s Snowy SI Swimsuit Feature Was Extra Special

The eight-time brand star and former cover girl posed for Derek Kettela in Switzerland for the 2025 magazine.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Derek Kettela in Switzerland. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Camille Kostek goes hand-in-hand with sunshine: her glowing skin, carefree energy and beachy blonde waves. But in her latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit feature, the veteran model stepped into a new element: snow.

For her eighth consecutive appearance in the magazine, Kostek headed to the frosty peaks of Saas-Fee, Switzerland, where she posed in crisp neutral bikinis, plush faux fur and boots, channeling the ultimate snow angel vibes.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Derek Kettela in Switzerland. Swimsuit by Heavy Manners. Jacket by The Frankie Shop. Boots by White Fox Boutique. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

This particular shoot, captured by photographer Derek Kettela, was an exciting opportunity to switch up the scenery and push her modeling skills, but it was also a full-circle moment years in the making.

We caught up with the 33-year-old during 2025 Swim Week in Miami, where she revealed the inspiration behind her alpine fantasy. Kostek has often spoken about how she manifested her 2019 cover girl moment by printing out Kate Upton’s iconic Antarctic image, taping her own face over it and using that vision as a north star.

With unwavering self-belief, she worked hard to break into the industry, staying true to herself even when others told her to change.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Derek Kettela in Switzerland. Swimsuit by Norma Kamali. Ski suit by Goldbergh. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

“At the time when I was so in love with that cover, I had it printed out on my wall,” Kostek shares, referring to the iconic 2013 cover. “For the longest time [it was] on my vision board,” she adds, noting that while she was mainly visualizing her own cover opportunity, she was also unknowingly manifesting a wintry shoot of her own—with the same visual artist behind Upton’s spread.

Kate Upton was photographed by Derek Kettela in Antarctica. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

That dream finally became reality. “Anytime that I would do any sit-down interviews, like through the years—by year six, seven—they were asking, ‘You’ve shot so many beaches, what’s one place you’d want to shoot?’ And I’d say, take me to the mountains, take me to the snow. I want the challenge,” Kostek reveals.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Derek Kettela in Switzerland. Swimsuit by Monday Swimwear. Shrug by Theiacouture. Boots by White Fox Boutique. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

And she got it. “It was amazing. It was 10 degrees, 12,000 feet up,” the Connecticut native recalls. “It took like eight different gondolas. You felt the altitude in your stomach, but when you’re in the zone, anything for the shot.”

Cloud nine? “More like Saas-Fee mountain high,” she jokes.

Since co-winning the inaugural Swim Search open casting call in 2018 and landing a cover after her sophomore shoot in Australia with Josie Clough, Kostek has built a legacy rooted in confidence, charisma and authenticity. In 2024, she was officially named an SI Swimsuit “legend”—the same year Upton returned for her seventh feature and secured her fourth solo cover.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Derek Kettela in Switzerland. Swimsuit by Norma Kamali. Jacket by OW Collection. Boots by INUIKII. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

“[SI Swimsuit] literally shaped me as a woman,” the former New England Patriots cheerleader reflected on a podcast earlier this year. “They taught me to love myself, as is.”

Today, Kostek serves as a mentor to the next generation of models, continuing to inspire others with her message of self-love and believing in yourself.

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