Swimsuit

6 Breathtaking Photos of Cris Urena in St. Lucia

The model was featured in the 2014 SI Swimsuit Issue.

Ananya Panchal

Cris Urena was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia.

Cris Urena was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia.

SI Swimsuit model Cris Urena made her magazine debut in 2014. She was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to Massachusetts at the age of 7. In 2011, her friends submitted photos of her to modeling agencies in New York City and in less than four months, Urena signed a contract and landed a major campaign.

“The first time my family [saw] me in lingerie my mom was very happy and supportive,” she explained. “It was Victoria’s Secret. After a while she was like, ‘Darling, do you really need to be naked all the time?’ I’m like, ‘Well thats my job.’”

Since then, Urena landed campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Maybelline, MAC and more. She went to nursing school and worked part time as an assistant in a clinic before pivoting industries. The mom of three has always loved traveling and meeting new people and said that’s what makes modeling so exciting.

“I wanted to scream,” Urena said about learning of her rookie status with the magazine. “Sports Illustrated takes every girl’s career to another level. It opens opportunities and allows people to get to know you worldwide.”

Here are six of our favorite photos from Urena’s 2014 photo shoot with Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.

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