Playboy’s first transgender Asian-Pacific Islander Playmate Geena Rocero can feel sexy no matter where she is or what she’s doing — even if she’s only clad in flowers, fruits or leaves.
The model sat down with Stylish on Friday, August 9, to dish on her latest accomplishment of making her debut in Playboy’s August 2019 issue, how she stays confident and exactly what goes into making bikinis out of natural materials.
“To be part of the iconic Playboy family that has long stood for freedom and individuality is something that I take with great responsibility,” Rocero explains.
“I was a little trans girl who grew up in a small, little alley in Manila, Philippines and dreamed of becoming a model one day. To be a Playboy Playmate is beyond my wildest imagination,” she says.
The journey to this moment took hard work, patience and staying true to herself. “Before I came out on my TED Talk, it was very difficult to pursue my modeling career. It was very limiting because I was afraid that at any second I could be outed as trans, but after many years of feeling like I was living a double life, I had enough and made a decision to take control of my life and my story,” Rocero tells Stylish.
To feel her best, Rocero relies on working out and taking time for self-care. “I feel most confident when I finish a good Pilates or yoga session. … My positive mindset allows me to have a great relationship with my body.”
Her optimistic attitude also translates into her personal style and she feels comfortable enough to wear anything. “I spent many weeks in remote islands in the Philippines with friends. … On each of the islands that we visited, I collected different leaves, bananas, pineapples and flowers to make swimsuits and took photographs in them,” she reveals.
Whether she’s rocking a leaf bikini or a regular triangle one at a photo shoot, Rocero recommends envisioning yourself as royalty when posing for a picture on the beach.
“Move around, have fun and dance in the photo. Always imagine that you are the queen of the island,” she says.
