The more, the merrier! This year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover features not one, but three fashion powerhouses: Kate Bock, Jasmine Sanders and Olivia Culpo!
The trio, who are all represented by The Society, was photographed by Yu Tsai in Bali, Indonesia in November 2019. On the cover, all three of the models look breathtaking in black swimwear featuring chain-inspired details and accessories. Bock dons a sporty bikini, Sanders wears an itty-bitty string bikini and Culpo slays in a one-piece.
This is the magazine’s first time featuring three women on the cover. Additionally, the publication will sell three additional collectible covers — one for each model! For dutiful SI Swimsuit readers, that means you can scoop up a total of four copies of the magazine!
Sanders freaked out when she found out she made the cover. “I initially dropped to the floor,” the 29-year-old revealed on the July 13 episode of Good Morning America. “I thought it was crazy.”
As for Culpo, scoring the cover was a dream-come-true. The 28-year-old used to get crafty in order to envision herself making fashion history. “I cut out a coffee table book and I put my head on the bodies,” she admitted on the morning show. “I’ve wanted this for my entire life.”
Like SI Swim cover stars of the past, including Tyra Banks and Danielle Herrington, this year’s stars have a history with the magazine. Culpo modeled for the publication for the first time in 2018 as part of its “In Her Own Words” feature and Sanders was the outlet’s Rookie of the Year last year. Bock was SI Swimsuit’s 2013 Rookie of the Year and has now appeared on not one, but two covers!
“These three women who make up the 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue are inherently unique but a solidarity exists among them in terms of their ambitions, goals and what they stand for,” said MJ Day, editor-in-chief of SI Swimsuit in a statement.
This isn’t the only bit of exciting Sports Illustrated Swimsuit news to make headlines recently. On Friday, July 10, Valentina Sampaio was announced as the magazine’s first transgender model. “I am excited and honored to be part of the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue,” the supermodel wrote in an Instagram caption announcing the big news. “The team at SI has created yet another groundbreaking issue by bringing together a diverse set of multitalented, beautiful women in a creative and dignified way.”
The magazine’s 2020 issue was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s been in the works for a while now. Last February, the publication held its annual Model Search during Miami Swim Week. They declared six women finalists and they star alongside Sampaio and this year’s cover stars — for a total of 33 women in the new issue.
The highly anticipated 2020 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue will finally be on newsstands starting Tuesday, July 21. Keep scrolling for a look at this year’s covers!
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