Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2016 revealed the first look at SI Swimsuit 2016: UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, model Ashley Graham and Hailey Clauson.
Clauson is often compared to Brigette Bardot.
"Every single woman that is booked for this magazine is cover worthy," Assistant Managing Editor MJ Day said in a statement.
"The collective beauty in the magazine is overwhelming. SI has always been and will always be about the models. The pictures you see here are a celebration of them. The three covers of Hailey, Ronda and Ashley celebrate the new SI Swimsuit. All three women are beautiful, sexy and strong. Beauty is not cookie cutter. Beauty is not 'one size fits all.' Beauty is all around us and that became especially obvious to me while shooting and editing this year's issue."
Clauson's parents sued Urban Outfitters for over $28 million in August 2011. The suit claimed that a t-shirt bearing a photo of Clauson was used without her consent. Clauson was 15 at the time the photos were taken.
Clauson is currently dating fellow model Julian Herrera. He is a personal trainer and boxing coach. People magazine expects Clauson will soon become a household name.
Sports Illustrated announced that plus-size model Ashley Graham is one of its rookies of the year in the 2015 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The 2016 issue's five rookies will be voted on by the public in an upcoming poll. Whichever rookie wins is guaranteed a spot in the 2017 issue as well.
Graham is the first plus-size model to ever receive the honor and be photographed for a spread in the annual magazine. Last year, she starred in an in-mag print ad for SwimsuitsforAll-and will repeat the gig again in 2016.
Today, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit franchise reaches more than 70 million US adults annually and more men 18 to 34 than the Super Bowl. The iconic franchise spans more than 20 product extensions along with a vibrant experiential marketing business.
The fashion industry describes SI Swimsuit as the "Oscars of Swimwear," as an appearance in the issue is a crowning achievement for swimsuit and accessory manufacturers.
The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues hit newsstands on Monday.
