Swimsuit

Kelly Hughes Reflects on Historic SI Swim Feature in Miami

The model posed for last year’s magazine and was the first woman to visibly display a C-section scar in the publication’s history.

Cara O’Bleness

Kelly Hughes

Kelly Hughes was photographed by Fumie Hoppe in Florida.

When model and jewelry designer Kelly Hughes posed for the 2022 SI Swimsuit Issue, she made history as the first woman to visibly show a C-section scar in the publication’s history. The mom of one traveled to Miami, where she posed for photographer Fumie Hoppe.

It seems that Hughes is still not over the incredible moment, and rightfully so. On Dec. 15, she shared an Instagram reel of herself posing in a golden two-piece swimsuit by Isa Boulder. Following the on-set footage, Hughes included screenshots from outlets that covered the news, including Allure, ABC News and others. 

She backtracked the clip to trending audio from Kim Kardashian, in which the reality TV star stated, “’Cause it’s iconic. And I love to do iconic s---.”

“nothing more iconic then lifting up woman , mothers , entrepreneurs and your community 🤍 @si_swimsuit,” Hughes wrote in her caption.

Tons of followers chimed in to the comments section in agreement.

“You are iconic queen!!!” Swim Search co-winner and 2024 SI Swimsuit rookie Sharina Gutierrez gushed.

“Love this so much, you have given me so much confidence as a c section mama ❤️❤️❤️,” one person shared.

“What an inspiration,” someone else wrote.

“ICONICCCCCCCCC🔥🔥🔥,” Allison Kaye cheered.

When Hughes spoke to us last year, she noted that finally embracing her C-section scar postpartum made her feel empowered.

“After having my son, one of my biggest insecurities as a woman and a model was my scar,” she admitted. “It wasn’t until I embraced my scar that I experienced the power in it. It took time to heal physically and mentally and embrace all that I had gone through in order to find the strength in it. I truly haven’t felt as empowered by my scar as I do today. It wasn’t until recently that I felt somewhat like ‘me’ again and comfortable with my body. This photoshoot made me feel more confident than ever (even pre-baby).”

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Published
Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.