2019-2020
Ghostwriting
Curation
Relationship-Building
Heritage Playmates
About the project
When most people think of Playmates, they think of the iconic photographs that appeared in Playboy magazine. Many onlookers were so captivated by each Playmate's beauty—and the controversy surrounding their boundary-pushing role in history—that they overlooked the richness of their stories. Behind those images were real women though; women with steadfast values, bold spirits, and a collective joie de vivre that was worth paying attention to.
Our editorial team set out to bring those stories to life, reaching out to a handful of Playmates from across the decades (there were over 600 to choose from!), to explore their untold stories and post-Playboy reflections. Some had gone on to become lawyers, acclaimed artists, or bestselling authors, and many had unbelievable anecdotes from their time with Playboy—from visiting Vietnam to boost soldier morale, to fielding a proposal from David Bowie.
A personal highlight from the project was my interview with Gwen Wong. Gwen was navigating kidney failure and beginning to develop Alzheimer’s, so I worked closely with her and her daughter to conduct multiple interviews. The process required me to draw on both my journalistic training and a social work–informed approach, ensuring her story was told with care, clarity, and full consent. When we finally published the piece, readers were so moved by Gwen’s health challenges that they raised money to support her upcoming kidney transplant.
This holistic project was as much about earning trust as it was about telling stories. I wanted to understand the impact of being a Playmate on their lives, in all its complexity, and that required true relationship-building. I had the privilege of getting to know these women—not just their voices, but their most vulnerable truths. The final product relied on an ethical and careful ghostwriting process, and captured the richness of women’s lives. In reconnecting with these women, we uncovered deeply relatable accounts of resilience, reinvention, and resolve, proving that sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.
2019-2020
Relationship-Building
Ghostwriting
Curation
Heritage Playmates
1/5
Jo Collins Won't Back Down
The epitome of grit and gumption, Playboy’s 1965 Playmate of the Year gives us a glimpse into her life before and after her unprecedented journey to the Vietnam front lines—and how she still pulls on her heels to slay every day
About the project
When most people think of Playmates, they think of the iconic photographs that appeared in Playboy magazine. Many onlookers were so captivated by each Playmate's beauty—and the controversy surrounding their boundary-pushing role in history—that they overlooked the richness of their stories. Behind those images were real women though; women with steadfast values, bold spirits, and a collective joie de vivre that was worth paying attention to.
Our editorial team set out to bring those stories to life, reaching out to a handful of Playmates from across the decades (there were over 600 to choose from!), to explore their untold stories and post-Playboy reflections. Some had gone on to become lawyers, acclaimed artists, or bestselling authors, and many had unbelievable anecdotes from their time with Playboy—from visiting Vietnam to boost soldier morale, to fielding a proposal from David Bowie.
A personal highlight from the project was my interview with Gwen Wong. Gwen was navigating kidney failure and beginning to develop Alzheimer’s, so I worked closely with her and her daughter to conduct multiple interviews. The process required me to draw on both my journalistic training and a social work–informed approach, ensuring her story was told with care, clarity, and full consent. When we finally published the piece, readers were so moved by Gwen’s health challenges that they raised money to support her upcoming kidney transplant.
This holistic project was as much about earning trust as it was about telling stories. I wanted to understand the impact of being a Playmate on their lives, in all its complexity, and that required true relationship-building. I had the privilege of getting to know these women—not just their voices, but their most vulnerable truths. The final product relied on an ethical and careful ghostwriting process, and captured the richness of women’s lives. In reconnecting with these women, we uncovered deeply relatable accounts of resilience, reinvention, and resolve, proving that sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.
2019-2020
Ghostwriting
Curation
Relationship-Building
Heritage Playmates
About the project
When most people think of Playmates, they think of the iconic photographs that appeared in Playboy magazine. Many onlookers were so captivated by each Playmate's beauty—and the controversy surrounding their boundary-pushing role in history—that they overlooked the richness of their stories. Behind those images were real women though; women with steadfast values, bold spirits, and a collective joie de vivre that was worth paying attention to.
Our editorial team set out to bring those stories to life, reaching out to a handful of Playmates from across the decades (there were over 600 to choose from!), to explore their untold stories and post-Playboy reflections. Some had gone on to become lawyers, acclaimed artists, or bestselling authors, and many had unbelievable anecdotes from their time with Playboy—from visiting Vietnam to boost soldier morale, to fielding a proposal from David Bowie.
A personal highlight from the project was my interview with Gwen Wong. Gwen was navigating kidney failure and beginning to develop Alzheimer’s, so I worked closely with her and her daughter to conduct multiple interviews. The process required me to draw on both my journalistic training and a social work–informed approach, ensuring her story was told with care, clarity, and full consent. When we finally published the piece, readers were so moved by Gwen’s health challenges that they raised money to support her upcoming kidney transplant.
This holistic project was as much about earning trust as it was about telling stories. I wanted to understand the impact of being a Playmate on their lives, in all its complexity, and that required true relationship-building. I had the privilege of getting to know these women—not just their voices, but their most vulnerable truths. The final product relied on an ethical and careful ghostwriting process, and captured the richness of women’s lives. In reconnecting with these women, we uncovered deeply relatable accounts of resilience, reinvention, and resolve, proving that sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.
1/5
Jo Collins Won't Back Down
The epitome of grit and gumption, Playboy’s 1965 Playmate of the Year gives us a glimpse into her life before and after her unprecedented journey to the Vietnam front lines—and how she still pulls on her heels to slay every day
2/5
Lust for Life with Gwen Wong
The world-hopping Bunny and April 1967 Playmate on her positive outlook, her plucky persistence and her quest for a new kidney
2/5
Lust for Life with Gwen Wong
The world-hopping Bunny and April 1967 Playmate on her positive outlook, her plucky persistence and her quest for a new kidney
3/5
Diamond Days
To celebrate 60 years of the iconic Bunny (and Bunny Suit), Playboy asked more than a dozen—and one Rabbit—to take a hop down memory lane.
5/5
Katariina Souri Finds Solace in Seclusion
The famous Finn and December 1988 Playmate on escaping into art, embracing pansexuality and striking out on her own
2/5
Lust for Life with Gwen Wong
The world-hopping Bunny and April 1967 Playmate on her positive outlook, her plucky persistence and her quest for a new kidney
1/5
Jo Collins Won't Back Down
The epitome of grit and gumption, Playboy’s 1965 Playmate of the Year gives us a glimpse into her life before and after her unprecedented journey to the Vietnam front lines—and how she still pulls on her heels to slay every day