Ines Rau has become the first openly transgender Playmate in Playboy magazine’s 64-year history. While Rau previously appeared in a May 2014 issue, the French model will grace the coveted centerfold spot in the November/December issue, a special 100-page tribute to the late Hugh Hefner.
“When I was doing this shoot, I was thinking of all those hard days in my childhood,” Rau recalls. “And now everything happening gives me so much joy and happiness. I thought, Am I really going to be a Playmate—me? It’s the most beautiful compliment I’ve ever received. It’s like getting a giant bouquet of roses.”
Rau has appeared in Vogue Italia and W magazine, and has walked the runway for top designers like Balmain.
Rau also commented on Playboy’s return to featuring nude models: “Nudity means a lot to me, since I went through a transition to get where I want to be. Nudity is a celebration of the human being without all the excess. It’s not about sexuality but the beauty of the human body, whether male or female.”
Check out a couple shots from the shoot below.
Ines Rau, November 2017 Playmate, in the new issue of Playboy. Derek Kettela/Playboy
