Kate Upton’s First SI Swimsuit Shoot Was a Cultural Reset—Revisit the Photos

The franchise legend is a four-time cover girl.

Kate Upton was photographed by Raphael Mazzucco in the Philippines. / Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

When Kate Upton made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in 2011, the then-18-year-old was photographed in the Philippines by Raphael Mazzucco and instantly captured the industry’s attention with her charisma, confidence and star power. Upton’s fresh energy and unapologetically curvy figure disrupted outdated beauty standards and ushered in a new era for the franchise.

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

The following year, the 32-year-old landed the 2012 cover, shot in Australia by Walter Iooss Jr., and became a household name almost overnight.

“My first cover really started this conversation about body positivity and inclusivity,” Upton recalled. “When I look back at my first cover, I see how young I was and I also can’t help but be taken back to that massive moment [when] that cover launched and that conversation of my body and what my body was.”

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

She landed back-to-back cover girl moments, posing for the front of the 2013 issue, practically breaking the internet by posing in Antarctica and braving subzero temperatures for a now-iconic image. In 2014, she returned to the issue for a one-of-a-kind zero-gravity shoot in Cape Canaveral. By 2017, Upton made history again, landing not one but three separate covers, photographed in Fiji.

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

Last year, the Michigan native returned to the spotlight in a major way. She joined 26 fellow SI Swim icons in honor of the brand’s milestone 60th anniversary issue for a group shoot in Hollywood, Fla., and was additionally one of four solo cover stars that year. She was captured by Yu Tsai in Mexico for her seventh year posing for the franchise.

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

“It’s such an honor to even be referred to as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Legend,” she said during her 2024 legends shoot. “It was a huge goal at the beginning of my career, and to be sitting here now, surrounded by all these Legends, is really surreal. I was lucky enough to do a similar shoot for the 50th, and now to return for the 60th is such an honor.”

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

From tropical beaches to frozen tundras and now legacy-defining portraits, her relationship with the brand has been one of evolution, empowerment and undeniable impact.

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated

Reflecting on how far she—and the industry—have come, she shared, “Looking [at] how the industry has changed since my first year to now is a really exciting conversation… That should have always been, but now that’s the norm and it’s really exciting to be with the brand that promotes that.”

Today, the mom of one, who shares her daughter Genevieve with husband and MLB star Justin Verlander, is also the host of Hulu’s Dress My Tour and the co-owner of Vosa Spirits.

Raphael Mazzucco/Sports Illustrated