Photographed by Yu Tsai, the images see the blonde bombshell in her prime, lapping up the gentle waves on the island coastline. It’s a far cry from Upton’s 2013 cover where she braved the icy terrains Antarctica for SI – and she killed this summer-friendly shoot with such conviction that they had to settle for three different covers:
The issue focuses on body diversity, with SI Swimsuit editor MJ Day “That’s a testament to the power of Kate and what she’s done and how she’s changed the perception of beauty and the doors she’s opened for other people in the industry.”
Upton said “I was very excited when MJ asked me to be back in the issue, especially when every year there’s a theme, and this year the theme is about every woman of every age and every body type being accepted. It was inspiring to be asked to be a part of that issue.”
You can also see a behind-the-scenes video of all the action right here, which further cements Upton as one of SI’s all-time faves. Praise the lord: