SI Swimsuit Legend Camille Kostek Reflects on Life-Changing Swim Search Process

The model, who earned her brand legend status this year, was declared co-winner of the open casting call in 2018.

Camille Kostek was photographed by Yu Tsai in Belize. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit’s first open casting call took place in 2017, when the brand’s inaugural Swim Search allowed for aspiring and established models to connect with the magazine team in the hopes of being featured by the brand for the very first time.

Since then, models like Camille Kostek, Brooks Nader, Katie Austin and Christen Harper have gone on to win (or co-win) the annual Swim Search. And with the opening of submissions for the 2025 Swim Search just around the corner, we figured now would be an excellent time to take a trip down memory lane to demonstrate just how impactful the open casting call has been over the past seven years.

When the Swim Search debuted in 2017, Kostek knew the brand’s open casting call was the way to make her dreams come true.

“Oh my gosh, I can go out for SI Swimsuit without an agency, a 60-second video uploaded to Instagram, and could be this much closer to my dream job,” Kostek recalled of her initial thoughts.

The 32-year-old Connecticut native immediately collaborated with a videographer friend to create an “epic” and “memorable” submission video in Malibu, Calif., that she hoped would catch the SI Swimsuit staff’s attention—and it sure did. Shortly thereafter, Kostek was called into the magazine’s New York City office, where she learned she had made it through to the final six.

As part of the process, Kostek traveled to Belize for a photo shoot with visual artist Yu Tsai alongside the other five women who made it through to the final round: Allie Ayers, Haley Kalil, Iyonna Fairbanks, Olivia Jordan and Tabria Majors.

“I just remember being in such a beautiful space mentally because of how much SI Swimsuit and the team had built me up,” Kostek reflected. “Of being like, ‘We love you as you are. Your body is amazing like this,’ because when you go around these agencies in this industry, they’re teling you the opposite. So it was just so nice to kind of get the reassurance of like, ‘You’re awesome as you are.’”

Ultimately, Kostek and Kalil were declared co-winners of the brand’s very first Swim Search.

Kostek, who went on to earn the cover of the 2019 SI Swimsuit Issue as a rookie, is adamant that her participation in the Swim Search opened numerous doors for her career. After she co-won the brand’s open casting call, Kostek went on to land hosting gigs for programs like Dancing With Myself and Wipeout. She also took on roles in major films like I Feel Pretty and Free Guy, and today, is a kindness and self-love advocate who has designed her own jewelry and swimwear lines.

“I confidently know that had I not been accepted through the Swim Search process, I know I wouldn’t have as many [opportunities] had I not kind of had that approval and that big ‘yes’ from the team,” Kostek noted.

She has returned to the fold every year since 2018, and Kostek has posed for the annual issue in locations like the Dominican Republic (twice!), St. Croix and Portugal.

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