Lauren Chan and Hayley Kosan's Love Story: Breaking Down Barriers and Stereotypes

Strategic Insights -

As Lauren Chan, the first lesbian Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model, navigated her journey of self-discovery, she found love with Hayley Kosan, a film director, in 2019. Chan's career as a model made her want to amplify her L.G.B.T.Q. identity, and Kosan's professional background helped her confront her internalized homophobia. The two fell in love after a chance encounter at No Bar, a queer space within the Standard Hotel in the East Village, where they shared a romantic and intimate connection. Despite initial anxiety, they eventually held hands in public, becoming a testament to the power of vulnerability and allyship.

Key Takeaways:

  • Lauren Chan, the first lesbian Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model, met Hayley Kosan, a film director, in 2019 on the set of a Rent the Runway shoot.
  • Chan's career as a model made her want to amplify her L.G.B.T.Q. identity, while Kosan's professional background helped her confront her internalized homophobia.
  • The two fell in love after a chance encounter at No Bar, a queer space within the Standard Hotel in the East Village, where they shared a romantic and intimate connection.
  • Chan and Kosan held hands in public, becoming a testament to the power of vulnerability and allyship.
  • Kosan proposed to Chan on her birthday in 2024, and they got married on August 5, 2024, at the New York City Clerk's Office.
  • The couple had a second wedding celebration on October 7, 2025, at No Bar, which was also a high-fashion celebration of the L.G.B.T.Q. community.
  • Chan appeared in Sports Illustrated a third time in May 2024 and became the magazine's first lesbian cover model that year, writing another essay titled "For the Girls," which highlighted her journey of self-discovery and coming out.

Statistics:

  • Lauren Chan was the first lesbian Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model.
  • Chan wrote an essay titled "Atop the List of Things I Never Thought I'd Do" to accompany her first appearance in the magazine's swimsuit issue in 2023.
  • The online bullying started almost as soon as the essay was published, with many men writing on social media that Chan didn't belong in the magazine.
  • Chan appeared in Sports Illustrated three times, including a third time in May 2024, after a second appearance in 2024.
  • Chan became the magazine's first lesbian cover model in 2024.
  • Chan and Kosan had a second wedding celebration on October 7, 2025, at No Bar, which was also a high-fashion celebration of the L.G.B.T.Q. community.

Sources:

  • [Lauren Chan, top at left, and Hayley Kosan hosted a wedding celebration on Oct. 7 at the Standard Hotel in New York. The couple met in 2019 on the set of a Rent the Runway shoot. (PHOTOGRAPHS BY SOPHIE SAHARA)]
  • This article appeared in print on page ST13.