Supermodel Kate Upton Was a Glittering Goddess in Glamorous Swimwear in Fiji

The SI Swimsuit legend and repeat cover girl posed for Yu Tsai for the front of the 2017 magazine.

Ananya Panchal | Jan 3, 2025

Kate Upton / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

While most years multiple models grace the covers of the SI Swimsuit issue, in 2017, Kate Upton had the rare opportunity to appear on the front of all three versions of that year’s magazine. Her mesmerizing photo shoot in Fiji with photographer Yu Tsai yielded too many stunning, cover-worthy images that the brand couldn’t choose just one.

“That’s a testament to the power of Kate and what she’s done and how she’s changed the perception of beauty and the doors she’s opened for other people in the industry,” editor in chief MJ Day said at the time, praising Upton’s impact on fashion and body inclusivity.

Upton’s journey with the brand began in 2011 when she traveled to the Philippines for her debut shoot with photographer Raphael Mazzucco. Even as a teenager, it was clear she was destined for supermodel stardom. A year later, after her sophomore shoot with Walter Iooss Jr. in Australia, Upton landed her first cover—a pop culture and media moment that catapulted her into the spotlight but also came with its share of criticism.

“She was a kid when she landed that first cover in 2012, and she was publicly eviscerated by many people for not having a typical body type or a typical look, and she took it in great strides,” Day explained. “She became this catalyst for body inclusivity and body diversity, because she was not the norm at the time.”

Upton continued to make waves in the modeling world, returning for some of SI Swimsuit’s most iconic features. The Michigan native has posed everywhere from the icy landscapes of Antarctica—resulting in her famous snowy cover—to the tropical beaches of Aruba in 2018. In 2014, she took things to new heights, quite literally, by posing in zero gravity for a gravity-defying shoot with James Macari at Cape Canaveral.

This year, she landed her fourth solo cover with a breathtaking, colorful shoot with Yu Tsai in Mexico and she also joined 26 fellow franchise “legends” for an epic group shoot, celebrating SI Swimsuit’s 60th anniversary issue.

Today, Upton is expanding her portfolio to TV. The former Other Woman and Layover actress is the host of Hulu’s reality fashion competition series Dress My Tour. The mom of one, who shares her daughter Genevieve with husband and MLB star Justin Verlander, is also the co-owner of vodka seltzer brand Vosa Spirits.

Below are some beautiful images from her 2017 feature with Yu Tsai in Fiji.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Published Jan 3, 2025

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2022, she worked at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When she is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, Panchal can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast. Panchal has a bachelor’s in communications and journalism from Boston University.