Danielle Herrington Served Beach Goddess Vibes During Her SI Swim Debut in Fiji

The California native, who was featured on the front of the 2018 magazine, appeared in five consecutive issues.

Ananya Panchal | Dec 26, 2023

Danielle Herrington was photographed by Yu Tsai in Fiji.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Danielle Herrington landed every model’s dream first major gig when she was photographed by Yu Tsai in Fiji for the 2017 SI Swimsuit Issue. The California native made a splash with the brand and then landed on the cover of the ’18 issue, following her photoshoot with Ben Watts in the Bahamas.

The 30-year-old returned to the fold the next three years, for a total of five consecutive SI Swimsuit appearances. She traveled to Costa Rica with James Macari, Wyoming with Ruven Afanador and Hollywood, Fla., again with Macari.

“Two of my role models are Tyra Banks and Beyoncé, so the fact that I get to join this incredible group of women as I become the third black model on the cover of SI Swimsuit is a dream come true,” Herrington said at the time of her cover girl moment. “I am so excited to be part of this iconic brand that has long given identity and voice to women of all shapes, colors and beliefs. I hope that young girls who look at this cover are inspired to dream as big as I did and work hard to attain all their goals.”

Brand legend Banks landed her first solo cover in 1997, while the 32-time Grammy Award-winning singer appeared on the front of the 2007 issue.

Herrington, who entered the industry at the age of 13, found out that she was a 2018 cover star when Banks broke the news to her—and the entire heartfelt moment was caught on camera. Warning: don’t watch if you’re not ready to shed some tears.

Below are seven fabulous photos from her SI Swimsuit debut in Fiji.

Danielle Herrington — Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

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Published Dec 26, 2023

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.