Lauren Chan was surprised when she found out she would be one of the cover stars for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.
The June 2025 edition features Chan as one of the cover models, making her the first openly lesbian woman to grace the cover.
“I’m the first out lesbian on the cover — with her own cover — and how much that means to me makes that surprise feel so overwhelming,” the 33-year-old told People in May 2025. “That’s where I feel like the tears of joy and celebration and relief and community come from.”
This isn’t the first milestone Chan has achieved with the magazine. In 2023, she became the first queer plus-size model to appear in SI.
Reflecting on her experience, Chan said her focus quickly expanded once she became involved with the brand.
“Once I started my journey with Swimsuit, it became a lot about LGBTQ folks and the AAPI community, because I believe I’m also the first Chinese person on the cover of Swimsuit,” she told the outlet.
For her feature, the Canadian model chose bikinis that intentionally evoked a bridal theme. “There was tulle, there was beading, there were pearls. I’m very much in my bridal era, and I’m really excited about that.”
Breaking molds, setting standards—on her own terms.
“@lcchan is rewriting fashion’s narrative. As a model, activist and entrepreneur, her why is about making people think of beauty in a way that’s inclusive, genuine and empowering. As a writer, she challenges the industry’s… pic.twitter.com/jQd10LjTfP
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) May 13, 2025
Prior to the shoot, Chan got engaged to her partner, Hayley Kosan.
When she made her Rookie debut for SI in 2023, Chan spoke with People about a major turning point in her life. She revealed that she had recently divorced her husband and felt vulnerable sharing so much of herself in her casting tape for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
“When I recorded my casting tape, it was the first time I’d talked about my recent divorce and being newly out as queer; it was quite vulnerable,” she said at the time.
But that honesty was exactly what the magazine was looking for — and it helped her land the feature.
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