Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has unveiled its 2026 issue cover stars, tapping a cross-generational mix of entertainment, fashion and digital influence with Alix Earle, Hilary Duff, Nicole Williams English and Tiffany Haddish.
The annual franchise, which has long sat at the intersection of fashion, culture and celebrity, will hit newsstands on Thursday in select markets, with a national rollout slated for May 26.
For this issue, Earle was shot by Ruven Afanador in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Duff by Kat Irlin in South Caicos, Williams English by Ben Watts in Montauk, and Haddish by James Macari in Loreto, Mexico.
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The 2026 edition features more than 30 women spanning sports, entertainment and digital media, including Olympic athletes, WNBA champions, models and content creators. Among those appearing in the issue are Lauren Chan, Ilona Maher, Remi Bader, Jasmine Sanders and Olivia Dunne, reflecting the brand’s continued push toward broader representation.
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“Every year we ask ourselves how we push further, how we find the women, the locations and the stories that make people stop and feel something. The 2026 issue is our answer. This class is extraordinary,” MJ Day, editor in chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, said in a statement.
Day positioned the four cover stars as emblematic of the franchise’s evolving lens on beauty and influence. “At first glance, our four cover models Alix Earle, Hilary Duff, Nicole Williams English and Tiffany Haddish redefine what you might expect from the Swimsuit Issue and that’s exactly what makes this moment so exciting,” she said. “This issue isn’t about sameness; it’s about celebrating individuality.”
Launch week in New York will include a media tour, a red carpet event and the return of the SI Swimsuit Social Club, featuring live programming, creator-led sessions and brand integrations.
“The continued evolution of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is rooted in building a fully integrated, multiplatform business that delivers meaningful value for our partners,” said Hillary Drezner, general manager of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. “With a record-breaking number of partners this year, brands are increasingly coming to us to activate and reach a highly engaged audience.”
The issue also highlights destination partnerships, with shoots staged at luxury properties and remote locations, reinforcing the franchise’s positioning within travel and lifestyle storytelling as much as fashion imagery.