SI Swimsuit Legend Samantha Hoopes Rocked Rainbows, Fishnet and Metallics During Her Debut Photoshoot in St. Lucia

In addition to being a model, the seven-time brand star is also a mom of two.

Samantha Hoopes was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia.Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Seven-time SI Swimsuit model Samantha Hoopes is a total franchise legend. The 32-year-old made her debut in 2014 and double-dipped for a bodypaint feature with talented artist Joanne Gair and a breathtaking photoshoot on the beaches of St. Lucia with Walter Iooss Jr.  

She returned to the fold the following six consecutive years. Hoopes traveled to Oregon with Yu Tsai for her sophomore photoshoot, was photographed by Ben Watts in Malta and Curaçao, and was captured by Josie Clough in Nevis, Kangaroo Island and Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands for her most recent feature in 2020.

“My first year, I came in—I don’t like to use the word lost—but at 22, you’re still kind of finding yourself, figuring out what you like and don’t like,” Hoopes told SI Swimsuit. “Seven years later, it’s a big difference. I’m a woman. I have a baby.”

The Pennsylvania native shares a 4-year-old son named George and a 2-year-old daughter, Kennedy, with her husband, Salvatore Palella.

“I just feel so much more empowered and I’m excited to see my changes,” she said about her personal growth with the brand. “Beauty is more about a feeling and a personality. Super down to earth, super real, that’s beautiful to me. To me, beauty is really something that comes from within. It’s your energy. It’s more than a physical characteristic.”

Below are five gorgeous photos from Hoopes’s SI Swimsuit debut with Walter Iooss Jr. in St. Lucia.

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

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