Discover Proudly Amplifies Diverse Voices

Sports Illustrated plus measurement fashions deserve all the highlight!

If you didn’t know, in 2016, runway star Ashley Graham made historical past as the first voluptuous girl to grace the cowl of Sports Illustrated. The show-stopping magnificence was featured in a purple-and-yellow bikini on the entrance of the publication’s celebrated swimsuit problem, which spawned a brand new age in the physique positivity motion.

At the time, Graham spoke to People journal about what the illustration meant not just for her but additionally for fellow full-figured women round the globe. “I thought Sports Illustrated was taking a risk by putting a girl my size in the pages,” the once-rookie instructed the outlet. “But putting me on the cover? They aren’t just breaking barriers; they are the standard now. This is beyond epic!”

“Girls who are insecure about their bodies, girls who feel ‘fat,’ girls who have cellulite, girls who have stretch marks on their body — those are all the things that I had as a kid, and I never had a woman like me growing up to look at,” she added. “I had my mother, and that’s one thing, but to have somebody who has cellulite, who has things that jiggle, who has back fat and talk about how you can be an overcomer and not let society take you down for all of that… that’s real.”

Sports Illustrated debuted in 1954 and has since served as a number one power in sports activities media. The information empire was based by the late journalist Stuart Scheftel. It grew to become broadly identified for its annual swimwear part, which started in 1964 and featured quite a few (primarily match) feminine celebrities posing for the unfold. 

“The moment that I got the cover and saw it for the first time, I knew that my life was going to change forever,” Graham gushed in a YouTube video about the expertise. “Big girls are here to stay! You know what I’m saying?”

Ultimately, Graham’s groundbreaking accomplishment catapulted her to international stardom, paving the manner and opening the door for different larger-framed queens to make their mark. And right now, we’re sharing the different Sports Illustrated plus measurement fashions who you need to know and observe!

These Are 5 Sports Illustrated Plus Size Models You’ll Want to Remember

1. Hunter McGrady

Hunter McGrady is the daughter of actress/inside designer Brynja McGrady and actor Michael McGrady. The 31-year-old Los Angeles native labored with Sports Illustrated for the first time in 2017 after being found by way of one in every of their well-known casting calls. Since then, McGrady has maintained a six-time tenure with the model, photographed in a number of nations inside the pages of the famend journal.

In May 2024, The Model Citizen Podcast host snagged the cowl of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s sixtieth Anniversary Legends problem, with a further joint shoot alongside icons like Tyra Banks and Kate Upton, amongst others.

2. Achieng Agutu

Kenya-born influencer Achieng Agutu made her rookie reveal for Sports Illustrated‘s 60th Anniversary issue in May 2024, which was shot in Mexico by the honorable photographer Yu Tsai.

Deemed ‘The Confidence Queen,’ the 27-year-old has constructed an enormous on-line presence by way of her unapologetic love for full-figured trend and creating motivational content material to encourage her viewers of almost 2 million on Instagram and TikTok (collectively). Additionally, she is one in every of the hosts of Prime Video’s new discuss present, Influenced, the place she and different social media stars give their scorching tackle real-life subjects.

3. Yumi Nu

Yumi Nu sparked main buzz when she grew to become the first plus-size Asian girl to grace a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cowl in 2022. Upon the milestone, Nu shared, “This is truly groundbreaking in so many ways, and we’re making history.” She added, “I get to be representation for people like me who are younger, and that means so much to me.”

Her preliminary rollout with the journal got here by way of a 2021 shoot in Tampa. Throughout the New Jersey native’s Sports Illustrated partnership, she has turn into one in every of their most notable faces. The 27-year-old owns the size-inclusive clothes firm BLUEKI and a singer-songwriter.

4. Veronica Pome’e

Veronica Pome’e was the first Polynesian mannequin featured in Sports Illustrated in 2019. Her swimsuit unveiling got here after successful a spot as the model’s mannequin search finalist. “There’s so much more to it than just being in a bikini on a beach taking beautiful photos. I represent so much more than that and have become the face for great hopes and big dreams,” the 34-year-old instructed Sports Illustrated of the historic transfer.

Today, Pome’e continues to be lighting up the trade as she makes use of her platform to point out the significance of physique variety and ladies’s empowerment. The Tongan-born strutter is now beneath the imprint Community New York.

5. Lauren Chan

Canadian mannequin Lauren Chan was Sports Illustrated’s first-ever queer mannequin in 2023’s swimsuit problem. Per People, the ex-Glamour trend editor made headlines after divorcing her husband and popping out to the world. When talking on her journey to self-love, she cited, “I feel like the more I have leaned into who I am, accepted it, loved it, and then lived it over the past 10 years has all made me feel more like myself and more confident.” 

Lauren Chan was simply not too long ago part of Sports Illustrated’s sixtieth anniversary structure, which highlighted Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton, Hunter McGrady, and Gayle King on the 4 particular person covers. She’s the former proprietor of the luxurious clothes model Henning.

Who is your favourite of those Sports Illustrated plus measurement fashions? Let us know in the feedback!