This Major Runway Show Was a Win For Body Positivity

For the past several years, Miami Swim Week has been the go-to destination to check out the hottest swimsuit trends on the market. However, as with any major runway event, this annual occurrence often lacks a display of diversity when it comes to its models. Luckily, Sports Illustrated is here to break that mold.

This past Saturday, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit unveiled its new, body-inclusive swim and apparel line during SWIMMIAMI. The show included a beautifully diverse cast of models with various body types to display the attire. According to the New York Post, the stunning models are all finalists in a contest where the winner will be featured in the buzzed-about February Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated.

The upcoming line, which will be available in sizes 2 to 20, features a large variety of styles including sexy cut-out bikinis and high-cut one-pieces with metallic and ruffle detailing. Best of all, these items were made with different body types in mind, which the audience could very much tell as the models went down the runway.

“[People in the crowd] lost their minds when the curvy girls came out,” MJ Day, editor of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, told the NY Post.“Some people [in the audience] were moved to tears because they saw themselves represented on the runway, which they never thought they would,” she said.

This isn’t the first time that Sports Illustrated has made a great stride toward promoting body positivity within the media industry. Last year, the mag also made headlines when it put model and body positive advocate Ashley Graham on the cover of its February 2016 Swimsuit Issue. This was the first time the magazine had ever put a curvier woman on their cover.

Bravo, Sports Illustrated!