Olivia “Livvy” Dunne is Flaunting new looks in the name of fashion.
The LSU gymnast and social media juggernaut, 22, was recently profiled for Flaunt, a Los Angeles-based publication, and looked nearly unrecognizable in a series of photographs as she modeled pieces by Nautica, Louis Vuitton and vintage Jean Paul Gaultier, among other styles.
Dunne, who is preparing for her fifth and final season at LSU, spoke to Flaunt about her meteoric rise and the “frustrating” assumptions outsiders make about her craft.
“The worst part is that people think gymnastics is easy when it’s not. The job is to make it look beautiful and easy. You’re not doing it right if it looks hard…The social media aspect of it—I worked really hard to get to where I am in building my personal brand, and it didn’t happen in the blink of an eye. It didn’t happen in just a year. It didn’t happen because of one viral moment. It happened over years of getting to know my audience, learning the algorithms, and growing my brand to be what it is today. That’s why people are so fascinated with what I’m doing,” said the New Jersey native, who boasts more than 12 million followers between her Instagram and TikTok pages.
Although there’s been chatter about what the future holds for Dunne — who has a reported NIL valuation of $4 million — the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model is keeping her focus on the present, particularly LSU gymnastics defending its national title.
“To leave one more year of eligibility on the table?” Dunne told Flaunt of her return to the Lady Tigers. “That felt wrong to me.”
Dunne confirmed her LSU return in July, three months after the program won a national championship.
Even with the spotlight intensifying — her audience expanded to MLB fans this year following boyfriend Paul Skenes’ breakout rookie season with the Pirates — Dunne is adamant about staying true to herself.
“My life has gone crazy this past year—so many new eyes,” Dunne said. “When there are more eyes on you, there are more people trying to tear you down constantly. I’m just trying to stick to what I believe and what’s true to me.”
