7 Unforgettable Photos From Emily Ratajkowski’s SI Swimsuit Hawaii Shoot—One Decade Later

The model, actress and author was positively glowing in her second brand feature and we’re still thinking about these photos 10 years later.

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

In the years since Emily Ratajkowski booked her first magazine cover and made her film debut, she’s become a household name. The 33-year-old mom of one, who has expanded her career to focus on art, clothing design and other business ventures, signed on with Ford Models as a teenager and the rest is history. Having landed the cover of notable magazines such as Vogue Italia, Marie Claire, Glamour, InStyle, GQ and more, the England-born, California-raised star has solidified herself as an in-demand supermodel—but, of course, that’s not all she has to offer.

Ratajkowski made her debut on the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 2014 when posing for two special shoots in St. Lucia with photographer Walter Iooss Jr. She followed that up the next year for her second feature, this time in Hawaii, captured by Yu Tsai. It’s kind of unbelievable to think that it’s been a full decade since the powerhouse celebrity last appeared in the magazine, as it’s one we frequently revisit when we feel nostalgic. In these last 10 years, Ratajkowski’s career has totally skyrocketed—and we couldn’t be happier for her.

From walking the runway during Paris Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week to landing roles in movies like I Feel Pretty, Welcome Home and Lying and Stealing, Ratajkowski keeps busy with her various career moves. She’s also a women’s health advocate and has written a book titled My Body, published in 2021. There are so many reasons to celebrate the multi-hyphenate, and we deem it the perfect time to look back at her 2015 Hawaii shoot with SI Swimsuit. These are our seven favorite photos from the feature.

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Emily Ratajkowski was photographed by Yu Tsai in Hawaii. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

The impressive entrepreneur also hosted the High Low with EmRata podcast and founded a clothing brand called Inamorata, which sells gorgeous styles for your every swimwear need. Ratajkowski, who is a single mom to her 3-year-old son Sly after divorcing film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, has been very open about her experience raising a child, inspiring fans with her vulnerability.

“You sacrifice so much of your identity when you become a mother,” she said to Elle UK in 2022. “And I feel like my life is just beginning. My twenties felt like how people describe their teenage years, where you’re like, ‘God, that was awkward and painful.’ And as much as I did things that I love, I’m also just like, ‘Goodbye!’ Now, for the first time, I am enjoying the world more. And yet now I have this incredible responsibility of raising a child. But one thing I have decided is how I want Sly to think about women. I want him to have an example of a mum who is happy. Which serves a selfish thing, but actually a happy parent is a better parent. So, if I spend a little less time with him because I’m working – like on this new podcast I’m doing – and it brings me joy… These aren’t questions that men ask themselves in the same way. They go to work, and it’s work. There are so many expectations around what kind of mums we are.”