How Kate Upton Brought Strength to the SI Swimsuit Set in Aruba

The brand legend posed for the 2018 issue in the Caribbean location.

Kate Upton was photographed by Yu Tsai in Aruba. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

A legend of the SI Swimsuit brand, Kate Upton first appeared in the magazine in 2011, when her features in the Philippines and a New York studio earned her Rookie of the Year honors. The following two years, Upton landed the cover of the annual issue, following her photo shoots in Australia and Antarctica, respectively.

Over the years, the 32-year-old model’s work with SI Swimsuit has taken her to exotic locations like the Cook Islands, Fiji and Aruba. During the latter feature in the Caribbean, Upton expressed feeling strong on set in the structured looks she got to wear while posing in front of photographer Yu Tsai’s lens. She also noted how several of the ensembles on set differed from her personal, go-to swimsuit style.

“My personal style for swimwear is more of a simple approach, either with like a beautiful poppy color ... or with a little bit of interest, whether it’s like a cut-out or cool straps, and there was a lot of that on today’s set, so personally, I loved it,” Upton expressed while on location in Aruba. “But I think that my favorite suits to shoot were the ones with a little more structure, a little more strength in it, like the caged black corset or the light blue [bikini]. It was a lot of fun to be able to bring that strength to the photo.”

Upton’s time on set in Aruba resulted in a truly stunning gallery of images, and we love hearing about her favorite pieces, including the aforementioned corset by Maya Hansen and a baby blue two-piece courtesy of Johanna Ortiz.

And up until this year, her 2018 feature marked Upton’s most up-to-date brand photo shoot. However, the mom and entrepreneur landed on the cover of the 60th anniversary SI Swimsuit Issue this May, following her breathtaking feature in Mexico, yet again captured by visual artist Yu Tsai. She also participated in a group feature alongside 26 other brand legends, which was captured in Hollywood, Fla.

“[Women] are capable of anything. I have a daughter, and seeing her grow up, I want her to feel empowered in her skin,” Upton stated while on set this spring in the Sunshine State. “It’s commonly spoken about for men in terms of their sexuality, success and ambition, but women can have all those things, too. We’re capable of so much, and there’s no end in sight for what women can achieve.”

Below, we’re throwing it back to a few of our favorite photos of Upton showcasing her strength and beauty in Aruba.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated