Behind the Scenes of 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit' Rookie Lauren Chan's Tropical Photo Shoot (Exclusive)

Lauren Chan is this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit rookie, making her the first plus-size queer Rookie in the brand's history. Get all the details on her photo shoot — in her words!

Lauren Chan's 'SI Swimsuit' Debut

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookie Lauren Chan is making her mark on the fashion industry as the first queer plus-size model to be a Rookie. The former fashion editor and Henning brand founder, who recently got divorced after coming out as queer, is "relieved, motivated, and excited" to be making her debut in the SI Swimsuit issue.

"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 and, to be honest, I was worried I'd overshared," the 32-year-old model tells PEOPLE.

"Two months later, SI Swimsuit's editor-in-chief MJ Day told me that I would be in the 2023 issue; I could feel her support and encouragement through Zoom. I felt immediately committed to showing up as my whole self throughout this experience in hopes that it helps readers do the same in their lives."

"During my fitting, this cobalt blue one-piece caught my eye because of the taffeta-esque flowers on the bodice; though we didn't end up shooting it, we did shoot a bikini from the designer in a deep maroon hue."

Beauty Shot

"For my SI Swimsuit shoot, Adam Maclay and Tracy Murphy — both New York-based artists that I had had the pleasure of working with previously — did the hair and makeup, respectively."

Fitting Time!

"The night before my shoot, we had a fitting that started around 9 p.m. — after the team returned from another model's shoot day. We tried on about 15 suits and ended up selecting around 10 to be shot on my shoot the next day."

Pretty in Pink

"I'm so excited for a chapter with SI Swimsuit in which I get to celebrate women for who we are, what we have to say and what change we can effect. I'm a size 14, I'm Asian and Middle Eastern, I'm queer; and I'm proud to be in the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in order to represent the continued dismantling of the beauty ideal."

Selfie Time!

"Here's a snap of my hair and makeup just before my first shot of the day — i.e. in its peak condition! You can see that Maclay and Murphy both went for a natural look, just pumped up a bit with some wave in the hair and coverage on the skin."

Old-School 'Sports Illustrated'

"There isn't a lot of vintage Sports Illustrated merch on the market, so I was very excited to find this snapback on Poshmark the week before my shoot. Though it didn't get shot for the magazine, I had fun taking photos of it between shots, pretending I was a 1995 Rookie."

Floral Vibes

"Typically, I'm not into über feminine swimwear (you'll mostly find me in one-pieces with a fun element like a cutout or one-shoulder strap), but this floral bikini made me feel pretty in pink."

Enjoying the Scenery

"The last shot of the day was taken at a cenote. I'd never been to one before, so after the shoot was wrapped, I took a moment to relax and take in the scenery."

Laid-Back Casual

"On shoot day, the video team filmed interview-style segments between photos. I got to style myself for this portion of the content, so I chose this matching beachwear set from Steele. (Fun fact: it has a flamingo embroidered on the back!)"

Overexposed and Beautiful

"I love shooting my own behind-the-scenes images on film, but sometimes I make a mistake. Here, an image was overexposed before it was developed; I still think it turned out beautifully, even highlighting the one pair of statement earrings I wore."

Upside Down for the Win!

"Did you know that you can flip your string bikini top upside down for a fresh new silhouette? That's what we did with this yellow top and I love the ruched result."

A Passing Sailboat

"When we were shooting this look, a pretty sailboat sauntered by in the background and we tried our best to get as many shots with it as possible. I wonder if the sailors know they might be in the SI Swimsuit issue..."

Rolling Around in the Sand

"This Beach Riot suit is right up my alley. I love that it's colorblocked and athletic — and clearly great for rolling around at the beach!"

Rear View

"The best part of this experience is working with people who know they are changing our culture for the better. Having that proof of concept makes working with the SI Swimsuit team incredibly deep, motivated and fulfilling."

Behind-the-Scenes Peek!

"When the SI Swimsuit issue comes out, you'll likely just see images of the models on the beach, but this is what our shoots actually look like. There are 10 people in this shot and at least another 10 in the shade. It takes a village!"

Relaxing in the Water

"I couldn't hear our photographer James Macari while I was shooting under water in the cenote. It made me feel like I was in my own world, so I took a minute to think about how much it meant to me to be in SI Swimsuit. Turns out, it's a good thing that we were in the water, because I welled up a little!"

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.