SI Swimsuit Model Irina Shayk Stunned Among the Tropics of Kauai, Hawai’i

The 2011 cover star posed for the franchise consecutively for a decade.

Irina Shayk was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kauai, Hawai’i. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Only a handful of SI Swimsuit models have posed for the magazine 10 times, and an even smaller selection have done so consecutively. Supermodel Irina Shayk is one of them. The Russia native began modeling in 2004, and just three years later, she was a staple in the industry, becoming the face of Italian intimates brand Intimissimi.

In 2007, she also made her debut with SI Swimsuit, traveling to Arizona with photographer Pamela Hanson. Over the years, the 38-year-old has visited and nailed her poses in the most exotic locations like Italy, Chile, Zambia, the Philippines, Spain, Madagascar and more. In 2011, she landed a highly coveted SI Swimsuit cover girl moment, following her feature with Bjorn Iooss in Maui, Hawai’i, and it truly was epic.

“To be honest, the time flew by. Today I woke up and I was like, ‘Wow this is my 10th year!’ It’s kind of amazing. It changes every year—they take you to different locations every year. I feel like I grew up with them—they hired me back in 2007 and I didn’t really speak English back then,” Shayk fondly recalled about her decade with the franchise, following her most recent brand photo shoot in Tahiti in 2016. “Every time you learn something [new]. I’ve learned a lot about being more confident with my body, because Sports Illustrated always hires girls who love their bodies, their curves, and it’s really important to love your body. My journey with them really showed me how you can be a better woman—how you can experience your body in a better way and be more confident.”

Today, the industry icon can always be spotted sitting front row at high-fashion shows or nailing her runway moments for major labels. This summer alone, the mom of one, who shares her daughter Lea De Seine with ex-boyfriend and actor Bradley Cooper, starred in a Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana campaign, walked the runway for Tory Burch and Courreges, and graced the cover of Harper’s Bazaar France. Shayk, who starred alongside Dwayne Johnson in the 2014 film Hercules, famously walked the Victoria’s Secret runway while six months pregnant in 2016.

We’re taking a look back at her 2015 photo shoot in Kauai, Hawai’i, which was photographed by Yu Tsai. The breathtaking feature was marked by beautiful blue waters, lush tropical greenery and Shayk’s phenomenal, supermodel skills and flawless face card. Below are six of our favorite pics.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated