Olivia Dunne Rocks Bright Orange Mini Dress During Launch Week’s Swimsuit Island

The NCAA athlete posed for the magazine this year and was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico.

Ananya Panchal | May 22, 2023

Olivia Dunne.

Alberto Tamargo/Getty Images

Olivia Dunne is having a blast at her first SI Swimsuit launch weekend. The LSU gymnast, who was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico for the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, rocked a fun and flirty bright orange mini dress during Saturday’s Swimsuit Island. The event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, Fla., celebrated the launch of this year’s annual issue.

Dunne paired the figure-hugging number with beige heeled flip flops, and her blonde hair was loosely curled with the front section pinned back. She accessorized with a few dainty necklaces and a gold bracelet.

View Olivia Dunne’s full 2023 SI Swimsuit gallery here.

“This weekend has been incredible so far. I’ve met a lot of the models and honestly, we’ve become like sisters,” the New Jersey native gushed. “They’re so sweet, and we’ve become so close. It feels surreal, it really does.”

The 20-year-old, who began practicing gymnastics at age 3, is now the highest-paid female collegiate athlete in the country. She hopes her SI Swimsuit debut serves as inspiration to women and girls everywhere that you really can do it all.

“When people look at my Sports Illustrated photos, I want them to take away that you can have the best of both worlds—and you can be a strong independent woman while doing it all,” she shared. “You can be an athlete. You can be in school, and you can do modeling.”

*Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico.*
Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

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Published May 22, 2023

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.