Tyra Banks returns to the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 22 years after making SI history
Twenty-two years after becoming the first solo black woman to grace the cover of "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit," Tyra Banks is the face of the 2019 issue.
The retired supermodel, 45, made her debut back in 1996 with model Valeria Mazza, followed by a solo shoot in 1997. For this year’s cover, photographed by Laretta Houston, Banks “smized” for the camera wearing a yellow Andi Bagus bikini with the stunning Great Exuma, Bahamas, as her backdrop.
This is for everybody that has been told that they are not good enough because of their body, their age, their everything. #BanX is here to tell you that you ARE friggin’ fierce no matter what anybody says!
— Tyra Banks (@tyrabanks) May 8, 2019
Drop mic now!@SI_Swimsuit 2019 pic.twitter.com/bgUqGunhAe
"Since Tyra's first cover in 1996, she's transformed herself into nothing less than a mogul, a cultural force and a supernova of inspiration and empowerment," SI Swimsuit editor MJ Day told People. "She's kind of the Swimsuit Issue ethos come to life, everything we know this franchise can be."
Folks on Twitter were all about Banks’ SI return.
Tyra Banks was the first black woman to grace the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition in 1997 solo, and now she's doing it again for the 2019 cover. The black is not cracking! pic.twitter.com/szVDY331Rv
— Michael Blackmon (@blackmon) May 8, 2019
Tyra Banks Sports Illustrated Swiwsuit edition 1997 vs. 2019. Trying to spot the age difference because I don’t see it. That melanin never lets us down!#BlackGirlMagic pic.twitter.com/A70JtQZdBm
— Joshua Chenault (@joshuachenault1) May 8, 2019
Yassss Tyra Banks!!!! 45 and still killing it pic.twitter.com/9ZVlTrlxS5
— Niki 🍍🇭🇹 (@annikita_kay) May 8, 2019
Tyra on the cover of @SI_Swimsuit 22 years after being the first Black model on its cover. Sublime. pic.twitter.com/3EsIYq1Zst
— CK (@cmkinmia) May 8, 2019
Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan and SI Swimsuit model search winner Camille Kostek also earned solo covers for the 2019 issue.
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