Camille Kostek Was So Barbie in a Purple String Suit in the Dominican Republic

The SI Swimsuit legend and 2019 cover girl has posed for the issue every year since 2018.

Camille Kostek was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

Camille Kostek will forever be grateful for SI Swimsuit, and we’re just as appreciative of the model. The 32-year-old made her debut in 2018 through the Swim Search and traveled to Belize that year for her debut feature. After her sophomore shoot with Josie Clough in Kangaroo Island, Australia, the Connecticut native made history with the franchise as the first open casting call alumnus to land on the front of an issue.

The 2019 cover girl says that special moment, which she practically manifested by cutting out her photo and pasting it on Kate Upton’s iconic 2013 cover, put her “on the map” and jump-started her career. Today, the content creator uses her platform to inspire confidence in young women and encourage them to chase their dreams and never give up.

Over her seven years with SI Swimsuit, Kostek has traveled all over the world to places like St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Portugal, and has really grown up with the brand. We’re still reminiscing on this stunning purple string bikini she wore in the Dominican Republic last year, her second time visiting the breathtaking Caribbean island country for a photo shoot.

Sommer Swim STELLA Petunia Mini Triangle Bikini Top, $99 and Freya Petunia Tie Side Bikini Bottoms, $89 (sommerswim.com)

Camille Kostek was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

This stylish, glamorous deep purple set featured a classic triangle style top that is perfect for minimal tan lines. The bottoms are ultra-flattering with a ruched backside and long, adjustable tie-side strap with cute gold beaded detailing. Shop more at sommerswim.com.

Kostek participated in the legendary photo shoot for the 2024 issue, alongside 26 fellow SI Swimsuit stalwarts, in honor of the special 60th anniversary issue.

Camille Kostek was photographed by James Macari in the Dominican Republic. Swimsuit by Sommer Swim. / James Macari/Sports Illustrated

“On a surface level, [when you hear SI Swimsuit] you think of a woman in a bikini in a magazine. At a young age, I saw these women who instilled confidence in me, who showed me that you can be more than a model. These women are moguls, they’re entrepreneurs, they’re personalities, they’re game changers. All of the women behind SI Swimsuit, they’re incredible. It really is a sisterhood. It’s a family,” Kostek gushed while on location in Hollywood, Fla. with photographer Yu Tsai. “It makes sense why MJ [Day, editor in chief] sits every woman down to interview them through this process. These women are extraordinary. They are so passionate, caring and nurturing. They’re everything that you would imagine a great woman would be. I almost feel like I’ve been inducted into the SI Swimsuit Hall of Fame. Being on the cover, I didn’t think it could get better than that—and it did. Sometimes I stop and reflect about the journey that it took to get here and I had dreamt of a day like this coming. The best part is that life is so unpredictable, which is scary, but then it’s like these euphoric moments that make it so worthwhile to not know what’s around the corner. Living out these dreams has been incredible and beyond. What the magazine did for me at such a young age, allowing me to embrace my hips and my freckles and just whatever made me, me – I can now be that for someone else, kind of like leaving a little piece of my legacy. It is all I could ask for, and more.”