SI LifeStyle

6 Must-See Photos From Ashley Graham’s Groundbreaking SI Swimsuit Cover Photo Shoot in Turks and Caicos

The supermodel was photographed by James Macari in 2016 and became the first plus-size model to land the front of the magazine.

Ananya Panchal

Ashley Graham was photographed by James Macari in Turks and Caicos.

Ashley Graham was photographed by James Macari in Turks and Caicos.

Three-time SI Swimsuit model Ashley Graham made history as a rookie in 2016 when she became the first plus-size model to land the coveted magazine cover after her photo shoot with James Macari in Turks and Caicos. 

The Maxim “Hot 100” cover star has spent two decades in the fashion and modeling industries as a trailblazer, paving the way for other curve models.

“Being the first ever size-14 model in the pages of Sports Illustrated, that’s going to be a much huger stepping stone than just … being a rookie or just being in the pages,” the 35-year-old mom of three said at the time of her debut feature. “It’s a woman my size: A woman that has been told she was ‘fat,’ ‘not good enough,’ ‘never going to be an editorial model,’ ‘never be in the pages of Sports Illustrated.’ And now I’m proving everybody who ever told me that wrong.”

Below are six of our favorite photos from Graham’s 2016 cover photo shoot.

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Ananya Panchal

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a NYC-based Lifestyle & Trending News writer at SI Swimsuit. Before joining the Swim team, the Boston University Alum worked for culture & entertainment beats at Bustle, The San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. When Ananya is not writing or doom-scrolling on social media, she can be found playing sudoku, rewatching One Tree Hill or trying new restaurants. She's also a coffee and chocolate (separately) enthusiast.