Nicole Williams English

Biography

Nicole Lynn Williams English (born Nicole Lynn Williams, October 30, 1983) is a Canadian model and fashion designer based in the United States. Having been modeling since her adolescence, she first garnered prominence as a cast member of the reality television show WAGS LA from 2015 to 2017. She has been featured annually in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue since 2023, being featured on its cover in 2026.

== Biography == Nicole Lynn Williams was born on October 30, 1983, in the Canadian town of Paradise, Newfoundland. She is of both British and "Native Indian" ancestry. Williams parents frequently saved stray animals and kept pets as she grew up, which she has attributed to her concerns regarding animal welfare. Williams developed an interest in fashion through her mother, who taught her how to sew clothes for her Barbie dolls at age six. Pursuing a career in the industry, she moved to Toronto at age 14, alongside her brothers, where she signed to an agency at age 16. She would often bus herself in sleeping bags from Toronto to New York City to attend castings. She did modeling work in Taipei, Barcelona, and Cape Town, before eventually settling in New York City. Taking modeling more seriously, she remained in New York before moving to Los Angeles. In 2015, she joined the cast of WAGS LA, a reality television series by E! that follows the lives of various romantic partners of athletes. She had been dating American football player Larry English since 2011, who was featured in the show. After dating for four years, the couple became engaged in September 2016. The couple married on May 19, 2017, with Williams changing her surname to Williams English (alternatively stylized as Williams-English). Williams English's appearance on WAGS LA, which lasted until the show's end in 2017, boosted her fame and enabled her to build a sizable following online. As her brand began to be built, she was recognized more by the modeling world. In the same year, Williams English launched her own clothing brand, Nia Lynn, named after her mother and niece. The brand is a luxury swimwear line with a focus on fit and fabrication, and is inspired by the different women in her life. Regarding swimwear, Williams English has stated that she always wanted to be featured on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue since seeing Tyra Banks on the cover of the issue in 1997. She appeared in a Sports Illustrated casting call for the Swimsuit Issue in 2017. Williams English became pregnant with a daughter in 2022; she was subsequentially informed that she had been selected to be featured in 2023's Swimsuit Issue. She publicly revealed her pregnancy at Miami Swim Week in July by showing her baby bump while on the runway. She debuted in the 2023 issue as a rookie, with photoshoots taking place in Dominica. Her and Larry welcomed their daughter, India Moon, in that same year afterwards. In December, she was named the Swimsuit Issue's Rookie of the Year. She was featured in the 2024 and 2025 issues, shot in Mexico and Jamaica respectively. In 2026, she finally appeared as one of the issue's cover models, alongside Alix Earle, Hilary Duff, and Tiffany Haddish. In addition to her fashion work, Williams English has dabbled in activism. Pulling from her childhood connection to animals, she has become an animal welfare activist, being the US Celebrity Ambassador for World Animal Protection. She promotes plant-based living and is an ambassador for Beyond Meat. Williams English has said that she engages in thrift shopping and used ethically sourced fand produced fabrics in her products, and has also stated that her makeup and a sizable portion of her skincare routine use cruelty-free brands.

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