Well-earned! Model and influencer Jasmine Sanders (a.k.a. “Golden Barbie” on social media) was just named Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s rookie of the year.
Sanders appeared in the May issue of the magazine, sporting so many fabulous looks like a barely there green one-piece, a cheeky black string bikini, a zipped-up sporty black number — and so many more. The model’s been gracing the pages of magazines and the most iconic catwalks since she was a teenager and some of her most notable campaigns include Vince Camuto, Vogue, Allure, Ralph Lauren and more!
“The beauty inside matches the beauty outside,” said Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor MJ Day. “Jasmine’s professional dedication is impressive. She shows up for this brand in an EXEMPLARY fashion. She takes being a part of the SI Swimsuit franchise very seriously. She is effortlessly chic, whip smart, humble, engaging and a pleasure to be around. Her participation makes this brand better, and I couldn’t be happier to name her our 2019 Rookie of the Year!”
The model took to Instagram to celebrate, posting a behind-the-scenes video of her 2019 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photoshoot in Costa Rica. She wrote in the caption, “This post is for all of the people that were there for me these past 15 years! We did it!! This is for all my family, friends, agents, managers, and supporters that have motivated and pushed me day in and day out.”
Sanders won her spot in the 2019 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in November 2018. She commented at the time, “I’m so excited to be part of the Sports Illustrated family! I love that they celebrate all types of women with different body types from different backgrounds.”
Sanders joins the ranks of former Rookie of the Year winners like Alexis Ren (2018), Bianca Balti (2017), Barbara Palvin (2016), Kelly Rohrbach (2015) and Sara Sampaio (2014).
