The reality star opens up about motherhood, 'House of Stassi' and swimwear style as mom of two backstage at the 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit' Runway Show
Credit: Ivan Apfel/Getty (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Stassi Schroeder modeled in the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show on May 30
- The reality star spoke with PEOPLE backstage about wearing a bikini after welcoming two children in the past five years
- The show, which took place on May 30 in Miami, Fla., is available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+
Stassi Schroeder has done some iconic things in her life, but nothing tops the high she feels when she takes on the runway in a bikini.
The Vanderpump Rules alum is, of course, talking about her recent modeling gigs for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
In 2025, Schroeder, 37, made her debut in the magazine's annual fashion show, and in May, she returned to Miami Beach for the second year in a row to join a powerhouse cast of women strut down the catwalk at the W South Beach hotel.
In glam backstage at the May 30 event, the reality star told PEOPLE she's "never felt so powerful and so in my body" than when she appeared in last year's runway showcase. But she has to admit, it's daunting walking out in front of a crowd wearing nothing but a two-piece.
Credit: Ivan Apfel/Getty
"I still kind of want to s— my pants, but it's one of those things that right before I walk on stage, I [tell myself], 'You are an icon, you're everything.' You have to have delulu energy," she revealed. After that, "when you go out there, there is no greater feeling."
Schroeder — who doubled her workout routine, underwent lymphatic drainage massages and spray tans to prepare for her sophomore gig — is a mom to two young kids, and she detailed how the women within the SI Swimsuit world lift her up the most when it comes to stepping into her confidence.
"Every single girl here is so welcoming. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit girls are hype women, and they just make me feel so good about myself," she said. "Even when I went in for my fitting, I came straight from the airport at Miami. You know, after a flight, you feel disgusting, but all the girls there at the same time as me were just like, 'Yes, you f—ing look amazing.' That does wonders for my confidence, to have other women hype you up."
Everything she does is truly for the girls.
"I don't care about the men," she adds. "All we want is to be like, Oh, what? Our girlfriends think we're hot? That's literally all we care about."
While she looks up to the women in her life, there's one person who sees her as the ultimate role model. That would be her 5-year-old daughter Hartford.
Schroeder's mini-me, whom she welcomed with husband Beau Clark in 2021, was able to see her mom work the runway last year. The memory stuck with her. "She brings it up throughout the year where she's like, 'I watched Mommy work. She walked across the pool.' It was really special," shared Schroeder.
"That girl copies me when she watches my photo shoots," she continued of Hartford. "Even her teacher at school was like, we made a project where we had to take photos, and she modeled, she's serving."
Credit: John Parra/Getty
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As a matter of fact, the spotlight will be on Hartford (as well as her parents and brother Messer, 2) this summer.
On July 29, Schroeder and her family will debut a new Hulu reality series titled House of Stassi, a show that the Bravo retiree promises breaks the "fourth wall."
"It's way more intimate," Schroeder said of the project. "It's just a whole new chapter of my life that no one has seen before. The last people saw me, I was a part of Vanderpump Rules and my life was incredibly different. Now six years later, being married, having kids and a whole different type of career, it's like Stassi 2.0. It's where I'm at right now. We don't hold back and we literally bled out for this show. It's raw."
But when it finally lands in the public's hands, she'll be ready for a breather. "I feel like I might want to go take a vacation when it airs, so that I'm not looking at all the comments," she admitted. "I think people will be surprised by how open we are to showing our real lives."
The 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show will stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ June 9. The broadcast, produced by Next of Kin, an EverWonder Studio company, directed by Sam Wrench and executive produced by Wrench alongside Ashley Edens and Ian Orefice, will feature performances by the Dancing with the Stars cast and Lizzo while showcasing exclusive behind-the-scenes moments.
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