We’re Still Not Over Stassi Schroeder’s ‘Sports Illustrated’ Swimsuit Show During Miami Swim Week

Miami Swim Week is always a sun-drenched spectacle, but this year the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway cranked the glam-o-meter to eleven—thanks, in no small part, to Stassi Schroeder. Fresh off diapers, deadlines, and podcast duties, the OG Bravo-lebrity stepped onto the catwalk and proved she still knows how to command a room with the confidence of a woman who’s lived several lives on reality TV.

From the moment Schroeder slipped into her polka-dot Frankies Bikinis two-piece and, later, a wildly chic animal-print set by Nessy, Miami’s temperature spiked. According to WWD, the mother of two zeroed in on silhouettes that kept “the girls” front and center after baby number two. At the same time, hairstylist Bradley Leake delivered “big bombshell energy” with a middle-part mane worthy of a shampoo commercial. 

Stassi Schroeder: SI Swimsuit’s Accidental Breakout Star

The Taylors set the scene

Taste of Taylor gave us a hilarious play-by-play of the weekend, live from their beds at the SoHo Beach House in Miami (while “in the nude,” or so they claimed). As Strecker reminded special guest cohost (and wife) Taylor Donahue, “Obviously, we have the Sports Illustrated swimsuit fashion show to talk about because we are down here because Stassi walked in it.”

Donahue could barely contain herself, blurting, “My freaking god. It was unfucking believable.”

Why this Miami Swim Week moment mattered

Even seasoned industry insiders forget how exclusive this runway is. Strecker admitted, “I didn’t know it was, like, one show.” 

Schroeder didn’t just nab a slot during Miami Swim Week—she headlined the main swimsuit show of the season. No second string, no influencers-in-waiting: just a select squad of heavy hitters that also included Bethenny Frankel, Remi Bader, and Alix Earle.

Inside the tent, the vibe was high-octane. Strecker, in her words, kvelled: “This is, like, fucking no joke. This is fucking huge.” And for good reason: SI’s annual catwalk is the fashion equivalent of a blue check—a career-defining “we see you” from an institution that launches cover girls into orbit.

Behind-the-scenes with Team Stassi

Schroeder turned the weekend into a mini family vacation, renting a house where husband Beau Clark, toddlers Hartford and Messer, and her glam squad could cheer her on. Backstage, she soaked up runway tips from SI regulars, describing the group as “so welcoming,” according to WWD. Strecker’s show captured the electric camaraderie, marveling at how the whole crew “didn’t miss a beat.”

Stassi Schroeder did a runway walk with real-life resonance

Schroeder’s two-look turn hits harder than the average influencer cameo because it proves career pivots, motherhood, and even headline-grabbing firings don’t have to dim a woman’s light. Two babies and a best-selling book later, she’s rewriting the post-reality-TV playbook—this time in an itty-bitty bikini under the South Florida sun.

While the hosts were busy losing their minds over the spectacle, Schroeder quietly carved out a legacy moment for her kids. Hartford watched the dress rehearsal, giving her mama the ultimate pep talk. For women juggling toddlers and timelines, seeing another woman smash a high-pressure runway—boob insecurity and all—feels like permission to dream big again.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway at Miami Swim Week was designed to break the internet, and thanks to Stassi Schroeder, it very nearly did. As Strecker summed it up, “This was, like, the main event.”