Camille Kostek on What It Really Means to Be an Icon: ‘Show Up As You Are’

The SI Swimsuit staple reflected on her career with the magazine during Swim Week.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hollywood, Fla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Camille Kostek is no stranger to iconic moments.

When asked to define what it means to be an icon, the SI Swimsuit model and TV host’s answer was simple yet powerful.

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

“Owning who you are, knowing who you are, and stepping into that power,” she told the brand during 2025 Swim Week ahead of the runway show—which she walked for the seventh year in a row. “Because to me, when I see somebody, if they’re radiating that confidence, they have the glow, and I find myself saying, ‘you icon.’ To me, that’s what that means—just stepping into your power and showing up as you are.”

During the glamorous annual Miami event this year, the 31-year-old got to celebrate icons in more ways than one. Editor in chief MJ Day—who has championed Kostek’s career since the beginning—was literally honored as one, receiving the Media Icon award during the inaugural Swimwear Icons Hall of Fame night.

MJ Day at Swimwear Icons Hall of Fame / BFA

Hosting that ceremony where Day—the woman who shaped her journey—was not only present but also celebrated, was the sweetest full-circle moment for the jewelry and swimwear designer.

“I actually talked about that—I ad-libbed a little bit during the show,” she told SI Swimsuit. “I went off script because in the moment of hosting and seeing MJ with her ICON award, I was like, holy moly, this is... Swim Week is where it all began, my relationship with the brand. And so getting to be there to host the first-ever Swimmer Icon Hall of Fame Honors Night and MJ being honored, like it just made sense.”

The milestone evening also gave the Connecticut native a chance to reflect on how much the brand has helped grow her confidence. “As women, we’re constantly shifting and evolving, not just as women but in these ever-changing bodies,” Kostek shared. “The runway has really been a place where I’ve shifted perspective on loving myself more.”

Camille Kostek enjoys the Apres Swimsuit Pool Party / Tato Gomez/Sports Illustrated

The former New England Patriots cheerleader’s connection to SI Swimsuit runs deep. She made her debut in 2018 after co-winning the inaugural open casting call and posing in Belize for her rookie feature. She returned the following year for a cover shoot with Josie Clough in Kangaroo Island, Australia—a life-changing milestone she manifested, saying it put her on the map.

Since then, she has traveled everywhere from St. Croix and the Dominican Republic to Portugal and, most recently, Switzerland with Derek Kettela. In 2024, she cemented her status as a brand “Legend,” participating in a special group shoot alongside 26 fellow franchise icons in honor of the 60th Anniversary issue.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Josie Clough in Australia. / Josie Clough/Sports Illustrated

From her Swim Search beginnings to closing the 2025 runway, Kostek’s journey embodies the very definition of an icon—radiating confidence, embracing evolution and showing up exactly as she is.

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