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 writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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