As another week draws to a close, we pause to spotlight a woman whose presence is as powerful as ever. In our Winner of the Week series, the honor goes to none other than Salma Hayek—an icon, a trailblazer, and now, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star.
The bikini queen reigns supreme
Salma Hayek has long held court as the undisputed queen of the bikini post. From sunlit vacation snaps to ocean-side reflections, she’s made the two-piece swimsuit a personal manifesto. And yet, far from predictable, each image continues to captivate. Her posts feel less like performative thirst traps and more like celebrations of self—a woman in full possession of her power. With every year, Hayek becomes more unapologetically herself, and watching her embrace her body and sensuality into her late fifties is not just delightful—it’s quietly revolutionary.
This week, her ascension reaches a new height. At 57, Hayek graces the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue for the first time. It’s a moment that feels as inevitable as it is groundbreaking. A woman of color, petite in stature, curvy by design, and a Hollywood veteran—Hayek defies nearly every conventional metric that once defined cover-worthiness in this arena. Beauty beyond the mold
It’s easy to look at Hayek—stunning by any standard, at any time—and dismiss the nerves she admitted to feeling ahead of the shoot. “If somebody had told me I was gonna be in it at 58, I would have sent them to the madhouse,” she confessed in her SI interview. “The world has changed, and that’s exciting… I’m nearly 60! At this stage, it wouldn’t have crossed my mind.”
She added with candor and humor, “And also I’m short.” Standing at just under five-foot-two, Hayek’s stature is a far cry from the tall, waif-like aesthetic that dominated ’90s beauty ideals. “It was impossible for me to meet the standards of beauty of the ’90s—skinny and tall. No matter how skinny I was going to get, I was always going to be curvy. I can’t stretch my legs! It is what it is.”
It’s that self-awareness—and refusal to conform—that makes this cover feel not just celebratory, but symbolic. Because while Hayek’s natural beauty is undeniable, the true triumph lies in her timing: appearing on a cover traditionally reserved for twenty-something bombshells, at a point in life when the industry too often deems women invisible.
Still, the standard is shifting slowly
Yes, the tides are turning. But anyone who scrolls Instagram or watches a commercial break knows the truth: thinness and youth remain billion-dollar industries. Anti-aging serums, weight-loss pills, contour creams—all peddling the same old narrative. In that context, Hayek’s presence on the SI cover isn’t just refreshing—it’s vital.
The fact that she nearly backed out of the shoot speaks volumes. “I went from absolute anxiety and panic to absolute peace and freedom,” she shared. “From absolutely insecure to being proud of the woman I am. And, for all the bad crazy things that are happening, I’m grateful for this change in the world—where it’s celebrated to arrive at a certain age and still feel beautiful.”
For those of us who grew up watching the uniformity of beauty paraded across magazine covers—tall, thin, white, blonde—this moment isn’t just progress. It’s emotional. It’s personal. Seeing a woman of Hayek’s age, shape, and ethnicity held up as a pinnacle of beauty is a seismic cultural shift, and for many, a long-overdue affirmation.
Confidence in motion
What makes Hayek’s presence so enduring is that her confidence feels earned, not manufactured. She’s not chasing virality, nor is she performing for attention. She’s simply existing—joyfully, freely, and beautifully—in her skin.
And make no mistake: the bikini is more than just fabric in her world. Hayek, in many ways, has become its unofficial ambassador—not through scandal or shock, but through serenity. In fact, she treats water itself as therapy.
“Don’t go over your problems when you’re taking a shower, when you’re taking a bath. Feel the water,” she advised in her Glamour cover story in 2023. “If you get a chance to go in the ocean, go to the ocean. Walk on the sand; feel the grass under your toes. Feel the sun; feel the wind. Don’t get too busy in your head that you don’t see it.” This isn’t just mindfulness—it’s embodiment. For Hayek, life isn’t about resisting time, but about inhabiting it fully.
The dive of a lifetime
Her favorite hobby? Diving. Not as a gear-obsessed collector, but as a sensorial explorer. She doesn’t own fancy equipment—she rents it. What she collects instead is experience. One can only imagine the swimwear wardrobe behind those underwater adventures: a spectrum of Lycra, a mosaic of prints, each suit another memory of freedom.
But her real message for summer is not to have the best body or the most followers. It’s this: show up. You don’t need to arrive at the beach (or the pool, or the mirror) completely devoid of insecurities. You just need to arrive. And then, let go. Get out of your head. Feel the sun on your skin, the wind in your hair, the water on your body. Because beauty, as Hayek so gracefully proves, isn’t about turning back time. It’s about showing up in the moment—and owning it.
