Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 announced that Hailey Clauson, Ashley Graham, and Ronda Rousey are this year’s cover models.
February 15, 2016, in New York, NY – Hailey Clauson, Ashley Graham, and Ronda Rousey are the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover models. Unveiled during a first-of-its-kind broadcast special event on TNT, Saturday evening you’ll see each babe beautifying their own individual covers. Be sure to check out the 2016 SI Swimsuit multiplatform launch across in print, digital (www.si.com/swimsuit), mobile and NYC Fan Festivals are set as of Monday, February 15.
This is the first time SI Swimsuit has produced multiple covers of its Swimsuit edition. On SI Swimsuit Editor MJ Day’s decision to go with the unprecedented three individual covers: “What defines beauty today? The truth is, times have changed and one size does not fit all. Our position on beauty is well known—healthy, curvy, vivacious and bold. It’s not a size. The three cover models—Hailey Clauson, Ronda Rousey, and Ashley Graham—demonstrate that…. So we don’t have just one cover because beauty doesn’t take just one form.”
It’s all three ladies first time appearing on the cover and each commented on the honor just moments after finding out:
Hailey Clauson said, “I’m shaking and crying. I love it so much because it represents three different strong and beautiful women.”
Ashley Graham said, “I’m insanely speechless. I cannot comprehend how I feel right now. This will go down in the books forever. It is a historic moment. Not only is this the first time that I’m in the issue, but I’m on the cover and sharing this honor with two of the most stunning women. This is for all the women who didn’t think they were beautiful because of their size. This is for them.”
Ronda Rousey said, “It’s a real honor being part of such a historic issue that really pays homage to different body types of women and not promoting just one cookie cutter image for every woman, but showing that the healthiest version of every body type is the sexiest version out there. And I couldn’t be happier…I think I was just as honored to get it as to be there in person to watch Ashley’s reaction (laughs).”
Clauson, Graham, and Rousey join the ranks of fashion, entertainment and business titans Heidi Klum, Christie Brinkley, Kathy Ireland, Chrissy Teigen, Elle Macpherson, Tyra Banks, and Kate Upton, who have appeared on the SI Swimsuit cover. This is the 52nd edition of SI Swimsuit which now reaches whopping 70MM U.S. adults.
SI Swimsuit 2016 was produced entirely on dreamy island destinations around the world, including the Dominican Republic, Tahiti, Malta, and Zanzibar. Clauson and rookie Graham were both photographed by James Macari on location in Turks & Caicos. Where Rousey’s cover was shot in the Bahamas by Frederic Pinet and features the cultural sensation wearing a body paint swimsuit.
The issue avowals an amazingly diverse cast of models that include accomplished authors, advocates, actors, world champion and Olympic athletes. They represent some of the most powerful brands in the world, and the group includes five returning cover models; including one, Irina Shayk, who is celebrating a decade shooting with SI. Five “rookies” are also making their first ever Sports Illustrated Swimsuit appearance. The full cast of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 models includes: Nina Agdal, Lily Aldridge, Rose Bertram, Kate Bock, Hailey Clauson, Hannah Davis, Emily DiDonato, Hannah Ferguson, Ashley Graham, Gigi Hadid, Erin Heatherton, Samantha Hoopes, Chanel Iman, Bo Krsmanovic, Robyn Lawley, Tanya Mityushina, Barbara Palvin, Sofia Resing, Kelly Rohrbach, Ronda Rousey, Irina Shayk, Chrissy Teigen, Lindsey Vonn and Caroline Wozniacki.
For the first time ever this year, SI Swimsuit is honoring its tradition of innovation to present a suite of virtual reality experiences taking viewers inside the iconic photo shoots of some of the world’s top models in some of the most exotic locations on the planet. The new issue will be accessible on newsstands as of Monday, Feb 15, and the content will be available on the brand new SI Swimsuit App as well as on SI.com/swimsuit and on tablet editions of the magazine.
Also, a series of immersive VR content featuring former Swimsuit cover models Nina Agdal, Irina Shayk and Hannah Davis will be available at launch in the new SI Swimsuit App along with thousands of photos, videos, and stories.
Saturday night’s first-of-its-kind broadcast event on TNT introduced the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit covers to the world and to the models themselves who were surprised on set. The festivities were hosted by Nick Cannon and Rebecca Romjin and included more than 20 2016 Swimsuit models in attendance, along with a performance by NE-YO and the presentation of the Jule Campbell Award to model/entrepreneur Elle Macpherson.