Swimsuit

Sixtine, Body Neutrality TikToker, Shares Most Influential Swimsuit Cover

The rookie, who was photographed by Yu Tsai in Dominica, opened up about her favorite brand model during Miami Swim Week.

Cara O’Bleness

Sixtine

Sixtine.

SI Swimsuit models got to have some fun and get to know each other a bit better during an interactive game of Jenga during Miami Swim Week last month.

When Sixtine and Ellie Thumann, both rookies in the 2023 magazine, got paired up, they dove into a super fun prompt: “Ahead of the upcoming 60th anniversary of SI Swimsuit, who do you consider to be the most iconic model in its history?”

After 21-year-old Thumann posed the question, Sixtine, 25, took a minute to ponder her response. While Thumann was quick to throw Kate Upton’s name in the ring, the body neutrality influencer named Ashley Graham.

“I will say Ashley Graham was a big one for me, just because, like, that was such a big thing with like plus-sized models and mid-sized models and just, like, you don’t have to be a size zero, so I think Ashley Graham was a big one for me,” Sixtine stated, to which Thumann agreed.

Graham, 35, landed the cover of the 2016 SI Swimsuit Issue after posing for James Macari for her rookie feature in Turks and Caicos. The body positivity advocate and mom of three was the first plus-sized cover girl in the magazine’s history. 

At the time, Graham spoke with Elle about how her cover would eventually “go down in the history books,” echoing Sixtine’s sentiments of the monumental moment.

“Don’t let your image, don’t let your size, hold you back,” she told the publication. “If I had let my hips or my jiggly thighs hold me back or the fact that I’ve got these big heavy breasts, then I would not be where I am today. And I don’t want women to hold themselves back. I think there are too many women who are self-conscious about the way they look―the way they see themselves in the mirror. I hope that this cover is a testament to them, proving to them that they are beautiful no matter what.”

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Published
Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.