Emma Slater turned up the heat at Miami Swim Week 2026 despite having less than three weeks to prepare for her dream modeling job.
The Dancing with the Stars pro made her debut at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show at the W South Beach in Miami Beach, Fla., last weekend, walking the catwalk in a black Heidi Fish one-piece that featured chain detailing, sultry cutouts, and an intricate dragon design.
“It was really surreal. I remember seeing all the social content last year and it became really cool and kind of iconic,” Slater, 37, exclusively told Page Six Style about the star-studded annual event. “I teared up a little bit when I got the request. It was very exciting for me. I was really, really happy.”
Slater revealed that he was approached about the opportunity on May 12 while the DWTS cast was in New York City for the 2026 Disney Upfront event, and was given just 18 days to prepare for the runway.
For flawless skin, she prioritized her beauty routine by combining her favorite Korean skin care products every day. Arencia’s “amazing” Booster Shot Skin Renewal Duo ($48 $40), which she “found on social media,” COSRX eye patch ($23), Abib sheet mask ($20 $17), and Beauty of Joseon sunscreen ($18) and Dynasty Cream ($24). Her skin has “changed” in “so many ways.”
The professional dancer also relied on a tried-and-true beauty hack she’s familiar with as a “DWTS” performer: a good spray tan.
“Especially at SI Swim, I used Dolce Glow spray tan. I also used Dolce Glow Instant Bronzer ($48). I just applied that on the day and it gave me a really nice glow.”
Is there a strict diet or last-minute workout to get “swimsuit ready?” Slater told Page Six Style that he took a surprisingly low-effort approach after working hard on the latest “DWTS: Live!” tour.
“Honestly, I was like, ‘I’m going to walk the runway as myself, and I don’t want to go on a crazy diet,'” the former Mirror Ball champion revealed. “I didn’t want to fast or anything like that. I just tried to avoid eating foods that really bloated me, like fruit.”
“As far as exercise, I didn’t really[work out]at all. I remember that day, I went for a long walk, but really it was more of a mental aspect,” she continued. “I just finished a huge tour. We did 97 shows in 111 days, so my body was still in touring shape. After the tour, I took some workout classes and revamped my Pilates in preparation for this tour. And to be honest, that was it.”
Slater was also busy preparing for the main event. She was initially given three options, including a bikini, but said it was easy to land on a black one-piece.
“I’ve done a lot of costume fittings on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ but this time was different. It was really like, ‘I’m running on the sidewalk, I have to learn how to do that,'” she recalled, noting that the dragon fit was the third costume she tried on.
“As soon as I came out of the changing room, the woman who did the fitting said, ‘Yes, this is it, it’s a great vibe! This is exactly what we’re looking for.’ I loved it too, so I was really happy,” she continued.
“I was going to have more fun with bikinis because I was like, ‘Sports Illustrated, oh my gosh, I’m going to wear a two-piece, that would be really fun.'” But I was actually seriously digging this. It felt really good. ”
But in the final days leading up to the SI Swimsuit Runway Show, Slater knew more than anything that confidence was key.
“I wanted to walk the runway being myself and being proud of it, rather than feeling pressured,” explained the British-American dancer, who has previously been open about her body insecurities on social media.
“The part of me that was always very self-conscious about my butt was my butt. Growing up in England, I didn’t grow up wearing really skimpy thongs and stuff to the beach. It’s very different now, but I didn’t grow up that way and I was always very conscious of my butt. I always wanted it to be smaller,” she admitted.
“Thankfully, curvy butts have come into fashion, but I still had a very self-conscious image, especially around my legs, thighs and butt. I have strong calves, which I inherited from my father. But now I look at it and think, “I have legs like my dad, and I love them. I love how strong my legs look.”
Slater said she loves how accepting different body types is now “so positive” and was excited to see it on the SI Swimsuit runway.
“Every time I’ve opened up and been vulnerable[to anxiety]I’ve always had a huge outpouring of support. And because of that, sharing that has really made me stronger and made me feel better about myself and feel good. And I do,” she exclaimed.
“A few years ago, walking the runway would probably have been difficult for me. I’m not going to lie. I think I was very nervous, but thankfully I’ve put a lot of effort into myself and I feel really comfortable now. So, honestly, the biggest takeaway from this is that I must have really grown in my mindset because I felt really comfortable doing it.”
“Also, what’s nice about Sports Illustrated is that it feels like there’s a lot of different body types on the runway,” she continued, “and it makes me feel so hopeful about the fact that beauty standards are being challenged by some of the harmful standards that we’ve seen in the past. I think that’s really refreshing.”
Ms Slater said it helped that she was surrounded by the “right people” leading up to the milestone, like her boyfriend Alan Bersten, who has been supporting her ever since she booked the gig.
After gushed about his “date with a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model” on Instagram, Bersten, 32, gushed to Page Six Style: “Of course I’m very happy. This opportunity is great for Emma.” “People were sending me pictures during her fitting and my jaw literally hit the floor. She was so stunning. I was so excited!”
Slater attended the event in person, along with fellow DWTS pros Jenna Johnson and Britt Stewart, and troupe member Hailey Bills, who all appeared on the show.
“When we found out about it, we all immediately said yes. It’s great to do something together. We all have a very special bond,” Slater said. “Also, all the women[on the show]were really welcoming and nice people. Even though it was such a short time, I feel like I made some friends. It was fun.”
Additionally, Val Chmerkovskiy made a special appearance, leading the women in a choreographed song. His signature knee walk certainly made headlines, but an unfortunate blunder between him and Slater on stage was also caught on camera. But like true pros, the two quickly got back on their feet and reshot the dance section without missing a beat.
“You wouldn’t see that[at the live show]because we did a few dance reps,” Slater revealed, noting that they were dancing on wet plexiglass because of the rain that day. “I performed without shoes because of the grip, but it was still really, really hard.”
“What I saw there was basically the result of all the dancers trying to grab their feet,” she added. “I was with Val and I think the floor just went away from him and then right after that it went away from me as well. So we both fell down.”
Mr Slater clarified that no one was injured and praised Mr Chmerkovskiy, 40, for being “such a perfect gentleman” at the moment.
“He was feeling really bad, but he was trying to make me feel better. I think he was also trying to catch me when I fell. He’s a very solid dance partner just like that,” she continued. “But luckily I really just laughed. I thought it was pretty funny.”
The SI Swimsuit Runway Show, starring Alix Earle, Bethenny Frankel, Brooks Nader, Ilona Maher, Maura Higgins and more, will be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ starting June 9th.
