Kate Love’s Favorite SI Swimsuit Issue Feature Took Place in This Breathtaking Location

Here’s a hint: the brand legend posed there for the cover of the 2020 issue.

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

A legend of the SI Swimsuit brand, Kate Love first posed for the annual issue in 2013, when her photo shoot in Chile earned her Rookie of the Year honors. The 36-year-old Canadian model returned to the fold each year through 2022, traveling to exotic locations like Switzerland, Nevis, Costa Rica and Belize.

With so much travel under her belt through her work with the brand, there’s no doubt that the model has a favorite location from among her 11 SI Swimsuit features. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Love’s standout location is Bali, where she posed for the cover of the 2020 magazine.

“I think there was something about Bali. The feeling for me on set, I just felt so good in my body. I was happy. I felt confident. My hair was extra glowy that year, whatever it was. All the little things just felt like they were all coming together,” she told SI Swimsuit while reflecting on a decade with the brand in 2022. “And the team, I just had the best trip. I don’t know; I think every year there’s been something special and something magical about each one. The fact that they’re all different and that I’ve gotten to go so many places all around the world with these people is a dream. It’s so lucky that I get to keep working with the same people again and again. I love them so much.”

While on set in Indonesia, the mom of one rocked black and white swimwear that really allowed the idyllic scenery and the model’s natural beauty to pop on camera. That year, Love was photographed by Yu Tsai, and fellow brand models Jasmine Sanders and Olivia Culpo also landed their own covers.

“ ... Every year is a little bit different based on the location, the photographer or just the weather and the vibe that we have, the swimsuits,” Love added of her experience on the SI Swimsuit set over the years. “It allowed my creativity and understanding of this industry to really flourish. I think every year I become more comfortable with myself and with my body. And they also know me so much better. I’m more comfortable asking questions. I now get to use what I’ve learned in so many other projects.”

This year, Love was named an SI Swimsuit legend and participated in a group photo shoot with 26 fellow brand icons in Hollywood, Fla. In doing so, she earned one of three group covers of the 60th anniversary issue.

Below, check out a few of our favorite snaps of Love in Bali from the 2020 SI Swimsuit Issue.

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali. Swimsuit by Are You Am I. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali. Swimsuit by ViX Paula Hermanny. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali. Bottoms by Gigi C Bikinis. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Kate Love was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali. Swimsuit by bond-eye Swim. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated