SI Swimsuit Models Rocked This Unexpected Trend Before It Took Over Paris Fashion Week

After taking over the City of Light on Monday, Sept. 26, Paris Fashion Week 2026 officially came to a close on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The annual fashion extravaganza is always a must-see moment for style and beauty lovers, as designers showcase their 2027 Spring/Summer collections. Needless to say, it’s also a fabulous way to predict many of next year’s biggest fashion trends!

This year was no exception, with outlets quickly sharing several standout styles sure to be spotted all over our fashion feeds in spring and summer. Still, one in particular stood out to us: vibrant, eye-popping, unexpected color combinations. When describing the colorful chaos, Who What Wear reported, in part, “Across the runways, designers swapped ‘safe,’ tonal hues for bold combinations of lemon yellow, cobalt blue, tomato red and punchy pinks, proving that clashing shades can feel surprisingly polished when in the right hands.”

Of course, we already knew we’d love this trend, since the bold and unexpected color combinations on display took us right back to the Montauk, N.Y., set for the SI Swimsuit 2026 issue! This year, photographer Ben Watts was joined by Nicole Williams English—who was one of four cover stars alongside recording artist Hilary Duff, comedian Tiffany Haddish and content creator Alix Earle—as well as a mix of SI Swimsuit staples and rookies, including Nina Agdal, Remi Bader, Hannah Berner, Erin Marley Klay, Tunde Oyeneyin, Ali Truwit and XANDRA.

Nina Agdal, Remi Bader, Hannah Berner, Nicole Williams English, Erin Marley Klay, Tunde Oyeneyin, Ali Truwit and XANDRA were photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

The Montauk wardrobe showcased a colorful array of designer swimwear from fan-favorite brands like Heavy Manners, Tropic of C, Andi Bagus and many more. “The styling on set in Montauk leaned heavily into early 2000s surf culture, bringing the raw, sexy energy of the 2002 film Blue Crush to life,” the SI Swimsuit style team noted. “In an effort to keep things loose and undone, models wore barely-there makeup, fresh-out-of-the-ocean texture in their hair and bikinis that were hot and fun.”

So, if you’re a fashion lover looking to get a jump-start on one of the biggest beachy trends for spring and summer 2027, look no further than SI Swimsuit’s 2026 trip to New York! Oh, and if you’re searching for some specific inspiration, no worries—we’ve included a handful of our favorite photos as examples below.

Erin Marley Klay was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Heavy Manners. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

XANDRA was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Atmosea. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Nicole Williams English was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Shall We? Sneakers by Converse. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Tunde Oyeneyin was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Roxy. Anklets by Logan Tay. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ali Truwit was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Remi Bader was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Tropic of C. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Hannah Berner was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Missoni. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Nina Agdal was photographed by Ben Watts in Montauk, N.Y. Swimsuit by Aviator Nation. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

More SI Swimsuit