SI Swimsuit 2022: Letter from the Editor

A letter from MJ Day on the SI Swimsuit 2022 Issue

SHOW MORE OF HER. Since 1964, every woman in charge of SI Swimsuit has heard this refrain over and over and over. When I came into my role as Editor in Chief, I heard “show more of her,” and I took that personally. So for the last decade I’ve made it my mission to turn that refrain on its head.

Yes. I have and will continue to show more of her—but of who she is, how she is and where she is in her journey rather than just what she looks like in a swimsuit. Because women are more than that. Their depth cannot be contained in a single image. And they’re constantly changing. You and I are constantly changing. SI Swimsuit is constantly changing.

Check out our time line on the right. While many still think of us as a bikini magazine, we’ve been evolving since Day 1. We put our models’ names on our covers at a time when that was considered an anomaly. We created Swim Search, which gave more women the opportunity to feel seen, celebrated and beautiful. We championed diversity, both on our covers and off. And just this year, we launched Pay With Change, a first-of-its-kind business model where brands that want to partner with us must pay with a commitment to making a positive change for women.

The journey we’ve been on—to break out of the mold the world has put us in—may sound familiar to you. It’s certainly familiar to the women we’ve chosen to be our cover models this year: Maye, Ciara, Yumi, Kim—and you. (Turn to the back cover of this magazine and you’ll see what I’m talking about.) At 74, Maye Musk continues to work every day to inspire those around her. Ciara has seen enormous success as a performer while simultaneously focusing on her passion for philanthropy and service. In her first year of being in the spotlight, Yumi Nu is coming into who she is and taking on the responsibility of what she stands for. And of course, Kim Kardashian, no stranger to the world’s judgment, continues to live proudly,
authentically and unapologetically through the noise.

We all deserve the chance to evolve. So in this issue I encourage you to see these models as we see them: multifaceted, multitalented—and sexy, while they’re at it. The world may label them one way, but we want to focus our lens on the many, many ways they are who they are and own it. No matter your age, whether you’re a new mom, partner, sister, entertainer, athlete, entrepreneur, advocate, student, mentor, role model, leader or dreamer—or all of the above—we want to celebrate all of you, your evolution and the many dimensions of who you are.

There’s always more to show. Almost too much. We can’t contain it all in a single issue, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try. I believe that real change comes from within. And that’s what I’ve been trying to do in my role at SI Swimsuit: to look inward—grow, evolve, learn and unlearn to better bring all women’s voices to our brand. By “showing more of her,” we’re able to show more of us and more of who we’re continuing to become. So please, join us in celebrating all women, and all of you.