It’s Finally Bikini Season—Relive These Iconic SI Swimsuit Debuts for Inspiration

These stunning debuts from the 2020s will have you adding more suits to your collection.

Achieng Agutu was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by BFYNE. Earrings by YSL provided by New York Vintage. Bracelets from Amazon. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

As the calendar flips from April to May, we’re on the edge of our seats with our sights set on warmer weather—and what better way to celebrate inching towards summer than with a vision board of swimsuits we’re longing to get our hands on?!

With that in mind, here are five looks that immediately caught our eye from debuts of years past:

2020: Josephine Skriver

Josephine Skriver was photographed by Kate Powers in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus. / Kate Powers/Sports Illustrated

Skriver shined in her debut photo shoot in the Dominican Republic, where she won Rookie of the Year honors. The model then shot with the magazine two more times in Sacramento and Montenegro.

“I want a girl to be able to look in a magazine and see herself,” Skriver shared while on set in 2020. “I feel like Sports Illustrated has managed to include anyone and everybody. I’m just so grateful to be a part of that group now.”

2021: Maggie Rawlins

Maggie Rawlins was photographed by James Macari in Hollywood, Fla. Swimsuit by Toxic Sadie. Necklace by 8 Other Reasons. Bracelet by Cartier. Earrings by 8 Other Reasons. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Rawlins—a registered nurse who served on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic—made her SI Swimsuit debut in Florida.

“I think the female form is beautiful and so strong and so capable of so many things,” Rawlins shared during her shoot with James Macari. “That should be celebrated.”

2022: Cindy Kimberly

Cindy Kimberly was photographed by Ben Watts in Barbados. Swimsuit by Montce. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Kimberly—a multifaceted model and musician—joined photographer Ben Watts in Barbados for a vibrant and bold first shoot with the magazine.

“I think of modeling as acting. I tell myself I will be fierce that day or sexy or soft. And it all comes out in the photos. I love having to step into different characters for it,” Kimberly explained during an SI Swimsuit interview in 2022.

2023: Madisin Rian

Madisin Rian was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by GOD SAVE QUEENS. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

As the first Black woman to serve as the face of Giorgio Armani Beauty, Rian is a groundbreaker. The model traveled to the Dominican Republic for her striking SI Swimsuit debut.

“I think that black women are judged a lot for their hair, and I just wanted to be free of all limitations and change the narrative,” Rian told SI Swimsuit. “As a woman, you don’t need hair to be beautiful.”

2024: Achieng Agutu

Achieng Agutu was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by Norma Kamali. Earrings by Alexis Bittar. Necklaces by Karine Sultan. Bracelets by Alexis Bittar / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Agutu was deemed the “Confidence Queen” by Vogue in 2021, and graced the pages of SI Swimsuit three years later for a magic debut in Mexico.

“I love everything about my body and about my skin,” Agutu shared in Mexico. “I don’t think I can pick one thing because then that’s unfair to every other part of my body that I worked so hard to love.”

The model also returned to the fold for 2025, and the first image from her newest shoot is one you don’t want to miss!

6 Beautiful SI Swim Beach Moments With Kelsey Merritt That Prove She’s Always Had That ‘It’ Factor. dark. Next. 6 Beautiful SI Swim Beach Moments With Kelsey Merritt That Prove She’s Always Had That ‘It’ Factor