Yumi Nu Offered Inspiring Message Following SI Swimsuit Debut in Florida

The singer became the brand’s first Asian curve model in 2021.

Yumi Nu was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

For the past four years, American model Yumi Nu has appeared within the pages of the annual SI Swimsuit Issue. Her work with the brand has been as constant as it has been historic. In 2021, she became the magazine’s first Asian curve model, as she noted in an Instagram post at the time.

But that was just the start of her journey with the franchise. The next year, Nu followed up her rookie moment with a stunning cover feature in Montenegro. She went on to pose for two more features in two consecutive years following her cover.

But it all started with that trip to Tampa, Fla., in 2021. From the first fitting to the last photo, the whole experience was deeply meaningful for the singer-songwriter. “I can’t express my gratitude enough towards my S.I. swim family, the kindest people you’ll ever meet,” she wrote on social media. “The first time I met @mj_day at our fitting, I cried on her because of what she and this magazine represent to me. I was so nervous and her mama bear presence really grounded me the night before the shoot.”

For Nu, the experience was a chance to be an active agent of change in the modeling industry. “[SI Swimsuit] has been a huge part of the wave of change I’ve been dying to see and be apart of,” she wrote. And, on the beaches of Florida and in each SI Swimsuit destination after, she has done just that: facilitated change.

Here are a few of the impressive photos from her rookie photo shoot, captured by Yu Tsai.

Yumi Nu was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. Swimsuit by Agua Bendita. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yumi Nu was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. Swimsuit by Toluca Swim. Cover-up by Andrea Iyamah. Earrings by SOKO. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yumi Nu was photographed by Yu Tsai in Tampa, Fla. Swimsuit by Amazon Fashion. Earrings by Adina’s Jewels. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated