SI Swim Star Lais Ribeiro Was a Neon Beach Babe in the Bahamas

The model and mom of two has posed for the brand four separate years.

Ananya Panchal | Dec 4, 2024

Lais Ribeiro was photographed by Ben Watts in the Bahamas. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Four-time SI Swimsuit model Lais Ribeiro has blown the brand away with her confidence, professionalism, beauty and radiance each and every time she has posed for the franchise. From the waterfalls of Sumba Island, Indonesia and the beaches of the Bahamas to the lush green gardens of Costa Rica and the dreamy coastal views of Sacramento, Calif., the 33-year-old knows the power and magic of great lighting, expert photographers and having team of hair and makeup gurus. But, she’s also a firm believer in the idea that true beauty really all lies within.

“Beauty means confidence, for sure,” Ribeiro told the brand. “I think you have to be comfortable in your own skin, like you have to accept yourself. When I was a child, I was embarrassed of myself because I was pretty skinny and I had like the biggest knees, and I didn’t feel beautiful because a lot of people would just keep telling me I wasn’t. So when I accepted myself the way I was, you know, I just am and I’m like this and I feel beautiful in my own skin, that’s when I feel confident.”

The Brazilian supermodel, who has walked the runway for Chanel, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and more and appeared in campaigns for Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, GAP and Dorne, has been in this industry for a long time. Earlier this year, she welcomed her second child, and first with husband Joakim Noah, former pro basketball player. She announced the news in August, with the most stunning, magnificent water maternity pics taken in Maui, Hawai’i, when she was 25 weeks pregnant. She is already a mom to her teenage son, Alexandre, while the 39-year-old athlete has two kids, Emaan and Leia from a previous relationship.

“Having a child changes everything, obviously. Yes, it’s motivated me more to be the best person I can be and to be a true role model for him,” Ribeiro gushed in an interview as an iconic Victoria’s Secret Angel a decade ago, and the statement holds true today.

Below are some of our most favorite images from her 2018 SI Swimsuit photo shoot with Ben Watts in the Bahamas. Ribeiro flaunted her sculpted abs and sun-kissed glow in the most fun and flirty series of neon swimwear.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Published Dec 4, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.