Danielle Herrington is the 24-year-old model who appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated 2018 Swimsuit Edition. Herrington grew up in Compton, California, living a pretty “normal” childhood as she describes it.
Herrington became only the third black woman to appear on the cover of the annual issue, which launched in 1964. She joins an impressive pair of women who also boast the accolade: Beyonce appeared on the cover in 2007, while supermodel Tyra Banks was the cover star in both 1996 and 1997.
via SI:
The beautiful brunette was shot by photographer Ben Watts in Harbour Island, Bahamas, where she stunned on the pink sand beaches of the Caribbean island. Danielle started her career just last year and stole the hearts of so many SI Swimsuit fans. The Compton, Calif. native mesmerized as she posed for her first professional shoot (EVER) in beautiful Fiji. “I remember being told I was going to live in New York,” Danielle said last year after seeing her first photos in the magazine. “Six months later, I’m a Swimsuit model.”
“Last year, Danielle was a rookie, and yet already an exemplary model,” said SI Swimsuit Editor MJ Day. “She’s an extra hard worker and a natural brand ambassador. All those things separately don’t guarantee a cover, though. Danielle was a shy girl, who went from taking her first photos last year to showing up this year a completely different person. All the good things about her seemed to be magnified.
“She owned every single second of her shoot. She had an enthusiasm and effervescence about her — I felt like I was meeting her for the first time. Last year she showed up never expecting to be there; this year she showed up completely claiming her place and status as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model.”
At just 24-years-old, Herrington is going to be a force in the modeling industry for some time.
