Yumi Nu | |
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Born | Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. | September 23, 1996
Occupations |
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Years active | 2010–present |
Relatives |
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Modeling information | |
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
Hair color | Brown |
Eye color | Brown |
Agency | The Society Management (New York) Wilhelmina Models (Los Angeles) |
Olivia Yumi Nootenboom [1] (born September 23, 1996), known professionally as Yumi Nu, is an American model. She appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2022, becoming the first plus-size model of Asian-American descent to do so.
Nu was born in Englewood, New Jersey, [2] on September 23, 1996. She is of Japanese and Dutch descent. Her mother, Kana Grace Nootenboom, is the daughter of Rocky Aoki, the founder of the Benihana restaurant chain. [3] Her mother modeled and brought Nu to participate in shoots as an infant. [4] Nu is the niece of Devon Aoki and Steve Aoki. [5]
Nu's family moved from New Jersey to Maryland when she was seven years old. [2] She has stated that she was one of two students of Asian-American descent in her school, and experienced racism while living in Maryland. When she was 14 years old, her family moved to Newport Beach, California. [6]
Nu began modeling in 2010. [7] She began practicing songwriting at the age of 12, and wrote her first song in 2016. Nu released an extended play in June 2019. [8] Nu is signed to her uncle's record label, Dim Mak Records. [7]
Nu created Blueki, a plus-size clothing line. [9] She was on the cover of the American and Japanese editions of Vogue in 2021, [7] [10] and also appeared in British Vogue. [4] Nu made her debut appearance in Sports Illustrated 's annual Swimsuit Issue in 2021, becoming the first Asian plus-size model to appear. [11] Nu was one of the cover models for the Swimsuit Issue in 2022, [12] and released her second EP, Hajime, in May 2022. [13] [14] She was also invited to the White House's celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May 2022. [15]
Nu resides in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. [2] Her younger sister, Natalie Nootenboom, is also a model. [2]