Say hello to the comeback queen!
“My first one was 23 years ago, how crazy is that,” an excited Banks said onGood Morning Americawhere she revealed her new cover. “I’m like damn — I’m 45 dog!”
Laretta Houston/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
For the 2019 issue, Banks recreated her iconic polka dot bikini moment during the Bahamas shoot.
“We couldn’t find the exact one in the archives — it was the polka dot bikini so we recreated that bikini,” she said. “I recreated it [the shoot] — 25 pounds heavier.”
Soccer star Alex Warren posing during her 2019Sports Illustrated Swimsuitphoto shoot in Saint Lucia.Ben Watts/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Josephine Clough/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
“The three women that make up the covers of the 2019Sports Illustrated SwimsuitIssue represent the brand in the most powerful way possible,” adds Day, who is celebrating her seventh year as editor and 22nd year working at the brand. “While each individual woman is so unique, they come together cohesively to tell a spectacular story.”
RELATED PHOTOS:Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Models Guess How Many Bikinis They Have (Spoiler: It’s A LOT)
Whether it’sMuslim model Halima Aden posing in a hijab and Burkinior 54-year-old model and authorPaulina Porizkova writing an essay on ageismin the industry,Sports Illustrated Swimsuitcontinues to champion women from all backgrounds.
Other famous faces in the issue include Barbara Palvin, Hunter McGrady, Jasmine Sanders, Lindsey Vonn, Olivia Culpo, Simone Biles, Winnie Harlow and more!
Last year, Bankssurprised model Danielle Harrington with her 2018SI Swimcover revealin an emotional moment for both women. Harrington was the third black cover star of the magazine’s swimsuit issue, following in the footsteps of Banks and Beyoncé.
In 2015, Banks reflected on her history-makingSI Swimcover, telling PEOPLE that at the time there was suspicions that she got plastic surgery.
“I remember back then everyone thought I fake boobs because they just kind of stood up like that,” she said while reflecting on her cover, adding, “But no that was good genes.”
RELATED VIDEO: Tyra Banks on Her SI Cover: “Everybody Thought I Had Fake Boobs”
Banks has been one of the leading body image activists in the industry, starting the conversation about unrealistic standards in the industry over a decade ago.
In 2007, after paparazzi photos of Banks on vacation in a swimsuit emerged, critics attacked her apparent weight gain. But Banks fought back, appearing on her talk show and exclaiming, “Kiss my fat a–!”
“I’m happy that the fashion industry is finally catching up,”Banks told PEOPLE last March. “What I’m hoping for is that theAshley Graham‘s, theGigi Hadid’s, everyone is just models. Not plus, not short, not trans, not curvy. I just want it to be normal.”
The model also opened up about her weight loss, a result of an ankle injury she sustained in 2017.
“I lost 30 lbs.,” Banksshared with PEOPLE at the time. “Now I’m a different body type. But I don’t feel like I’m betraying people. I’ve still got a–, I’ve still got boobs!”
SI Swimsuithits newsstands on Wednesday, May 8.
source: people.com
