For the first time in its 52-year history Sports Illustrated chose three cover models for it's annual buzzy swimsuit issue: Ronda Rousey, Ashley Graham, and Hailey Clauson.
Of course, the mag is breaking history in more ways than one by choosing cover stars who represent a more inclusive standard of beauty and body positivity.
"Truly speechless!!!" Graham wrote on her Instagram, about her cover. "This cover is for every woman who felt like she wasn't beautiful enough because of her size. You can do and achieve anything you put your mind to."
"The three covers of Hailey, Ronda, and Ashley celebrate the new SI Swimsuit," Sport Illustrated's Assistant Managing Editor MJ Day said. "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."
The three models learned that they'd each landed covers during an on-air reveal, where they were overcome by the news―it's very, very cute:
"You know, I don't like to use the words 'real women,' honestly," Graham told ELLE.com in an interview last month. "I like to use the word woman. And I say that because there are so many women out there who are naturally thin, or are naturally curvy, and I think when we start putting a label on the type of woman it gets misconstrued and starts to offend people. At the end of the day we just all want to be known as women or models or actresses or whatever. "
WORDS: Leah Chernikoff
IMAGES: Getty
Originally on ELLE.com
