Yumi Nu Was a Glowing Earthy Goddess in White Bikinis for Fourth SI Swimsuit Feature

The history-making SI Swimsuit model took our breath away in Belize last year.

Yumi Nu was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. Swimsuit by JMP The Label. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Four-time SI Swimsuit model Yumi Nu made her debut with the brand back in 2021 when traveling to Tampa, Fla. to be photographed by Yu Tsai, delivering an absolutely dreamy spread of images. Rocking both warm tones and bright hues on the beach and in the water, she certainly made an impression for her first feature. The year following, she landed on the cover of the magazine after jetting off to Montenegro, where she posed for James Macari’s lens. Posing for the brand each year since her debut, we’re always in awe of Nu’s beauty—inside and out.

The 28-year-old New Jersey native, who released an EP called Bloody in 2024, is the first Asian plus-sized model to appear on the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and the first plus-size model to land the cover of Vogue Japan. She continues to pave the way for women worldwide with her work in front of the camera and in the recording studio. Though we couldn’t pick just one favorite photo shoot, we’re still totally in love with her most recent feature, where she traveled to Belize to be photographed by Derek Kettela.

As expected, her 2024 photo shoot came out positively breathtaking as she leaned into an angelic aesthetic with white swimwear. From bandeau tops and thong bottoms to crochet and criss-cross ties, Nu donned multiple trendy styles and looked ethereal while doing so. Take a look at just a few of the most stunning.

Yumi Nu was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. Swimsuit by MESHKI. Necklace by Alexis Bittar. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Yumi Nu was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. Swimsuit by Asta Resort. Scarf by Swimsuits for All x Camille Kostek. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Yumi Nu was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. Swimsuit by JMP The Label. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Yumi Nu was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. Swimsuit by Montce. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Yumi Nu was photographed by Derek Kettela in Belize. Swimsuit by JMP The Label. / Derek Kettela/Sports Illustrated

Nu, who graced the cover of Vogue Japan again in 2024, has opened up about her relationship with her body, explaining that as a pre-teen and teen, it was difficult for her to fit into the plus size industry that wasn’t “fully formed yet.” This led her to quit modeling, but, of course, she returned when the time was right.

“I came back to modeling in 2016, after I found my worth and a love of my body,” Nu told Into The Gloss. “I was so tired of holding this stress of always thinking, ‘I’ll be happy when I'm 40 or 50 pounds lighter.’ It felt like I’d spent my whole life chasing a number on the scale. I just decided I wasn’t going to live by that anymore. I started following plus-size models on Instagram like Hunter McGrady and Ashley Graham. I saw their body positivity and didn’t believe it was real at first. But it is! It works!”