Olivia Dunne Nails Cover Girl Aura on the Red Carpet, Celebrates Launch of 2025 Issue

The three-time SI Swimsuit model graces the front of this year‘s magazine after posing for Ben Watts in Bermuda.

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Bermuda. Swimsuit by Reina Olga. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Fresh off landing her first SI Swimsuit cover, Olivia Dunne dazzles on the red carpet at the 2025 issue launch party in Manhattan. The 22-year-old, who recently retired from competitive gymnastics after leading Louisiana State University to its first NCAA Championship last year, looks effortlessly elegant in a flowing water-inspired mint green mini dress with an asymmetrical hem by Kate Barton.

Styled by SI Swimsuit fashion editor Margot Zamet, she pairs the dress with strappy mint green croc Alexis heels and a matching clutch by Benedetta Bruzziches. Her glam is polished and luminous, featuring rosy blush, sculpted cheekbones and a glossy mauve pout.

Olivia Dunne / John Nacion/Variety/Getty Images

While talking to SI Swimsuit at the launch party, Dunne called her cover moment “unreal” and “a dream come true.”

“This has been my dream since I was a young girl,” she added.

The three-time brand star—one of four trailblazing women selected for individual covers this year—makes an unforgettable entrance at the Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 15, joining fellow models and guests for an exclusive VIP celebration.

After a dazzling debut in Puerto Rico in 2023 and a sophomore spread in Portugal last year, the New Jersey native traveled to Bermuda for her 2025 shoot—her third with photographer Ben Watts. She appears on one of this year’s four solo covers, alongside Salma Hayek Pinault, Jordan Chiles and Lauren Chan, each representing a bold new chapter for the brand.

Dunne’s rise has been meteoric. As the highest-paid female college athlete, she has leveraged her platform to launch The Livvy Fund, empowering female student-athletes with NIL education and brand opportunities. Her journey from viral gymnast to SI Swimsuit cover star has inspired millions of young women to embrace their multifaceted identities.

“I think what’s so cool about the position I’m in is the depth. [I’m a] student, athlete, entrepreneur, model… Nobody else has done it before me, so I’m kind of just writing my own story,” she said while on location with the franchise this year. “I hope girls can look back at me and get inspired.”

Inside the exclusive VIP celebration, Dunne joined brand rookies, icons and everything in between, including Camille Kostek, Ellie Thumann, XANDRA, Brooks Nader, Ming Lee Simmons, Ali Truwit, Suni Lee and more. Together, they toasted the new issue and the groundbreaking women who continue to redefine beauty, strength and success.

Olivia Dunne Content. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1747133448/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jv4m9frgsejhcyx3t0.jpg. More Olivia Dunne. Meet the Cover Model. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1746299707/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jtbs5njpeadfy90dyk.jpg. View the Full 2025 Gallery. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1746299708/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01jtbs5nkwn7304qmdcc.jpg

Stay tuned for more from launch week and follow along @si_swimsuit on Instagram.

The 2025 SI Swimsuit magazine is available online now and at select newsstands on May 17. Get your hands on a copy here.