On Wednesday (May 8), Tyra Banks damn near broke the Internet when it was revealed she came out of modeling retirement to be one of three cover girls for the newest issue of ‘Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.’

Showing off her oft-envied figure, the 45-year-old was looking better than ever as she fiercely posed beach side in the Bahamas wearing a yellow bikini – a shoot that immediately drew comparison to her iconic 1997 ‘Sports Illustrated’ snaps (as we reported here).  That feature (some 22 years ago) made history as Banks became the first African American woman to appear on a cover for the mag and now – with the recent appearance – she’s opted to make history again by tapping photographer Laretta Houston to lens the shoot.

“I am obsessed with firsts,” Banks says. “So, I spoke to MJ [Day], the editor of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, and I said, ‘MJ, you guys changed my life. Twenty-two years ago, you put me on that cover and then you put me on again. It gave me such a powerful platform, and now I want to change somebody’s life. I want us to find an African American, female photographer.’ 

Look inside to see the behind the scenes action of Houston and Banks making history:

See more photos from the finished product:

BONUS:  Look below to hear Banks chat with BUILD series about the impact of hiring an African American photographer.

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