The New Era Of Glamour: 15 Celebrities Redefining Playboy In 2025 And Beyond
The iconic Playboy brand is undergoing its most dramatic transformation in decades, moving far beyond its historical centerfolds to embrace a new era of celebrity-driven content, fashion, and digital platforms. As of December 2025, the conversation around "celebs for Playboy" is no longer just about posing; it is about creative collaborations, brand directorship, and a strategic pivot into a global lifestyle and sexual wellness powerhouse. This deep dive explores the A-list stars leading this change, the brand's new identity, and the surprising celebrities from its past who paved the way.
The biggest news signaling this shift is the highly anticipated return of the print magazine, with a major celebrity on the cover. After a five-year hiatus from physical publication, the announcement of the 2025 spring print issue cover star has solidified Playboy's commitment to "timeless glamour and storytelling," utilizing celebrity influence to redefine its legacy.
The New Face of Playboy: Lori Harvey, Cardi B, and the 2025 Relaunch
The contemporary definition of a "Playboy celebrity" is less about a single photoshoot and more about a strategic partnership that aligns with the star's personal brand and the company's expansive vision. The two most influential figures in this new chapter are a model/entrepreneur and a hip-hop icon.
Lori Harvey: The 2025 Cover Star and the Return of Print
Lori Harvey, the model, entrepreneur, and founder of SKN by LH, was announced as the cover star for Playboy's highly anticipated 2025 spring print issue. This is a monumental moment, as it marks the first physical magazine published by the outlet since 2020, deliberately ushering in a "new era."
- Significance: Harvey's feature is a visual homage to the brand's golden era, blending high-glamour looks with bold femininity, effectively cementing her status as a modern icon of confidence. Her selection emphasizes a focus on business-savvy, influential women who control their own narrative, a stark contrast to the brand's older, more passive image.
- The New Aesthetic: The shoot, which has been described as jaw-dropping, showcases a reimagined aesthetic that is bold, sophisticated, and focused on storytelling, moving beyond the simple "Playboy Celebrity Centerfold" concept of the past.
Cardi B: Creative Director in Residence
In a move that shocked the media and cemented the brand's commitment to cultural relevance, hip-hop superstar Cardi B was named Playboy's first-ever Creative Director in Residence. This role is far more than a ceremonial title; it places her at the center of the brand's strategic rebranding.
- Strategic Influence: Cardi B provides artistic direction across Playboy's editorial side, co-branded fashion, and sexual wellness merchandise collections. Her involvement is a clear signal that the brand is leveraging social media's participatory nature and her massive, engaged following to drive a sense of inclusivity and modern sex-positivity.
- Digital Platform: Her first major project involved promoting Playboy's new creator platform, CENTERFOLD, which is a premium content hub designed to compete with sites like OnlyFans, offering celebrities and creators a space for "exclusive content" and direct fan access. This shift demonstrates that the brand's focus is now heavily on digital revenue and creator economy participation.
The Evolution of the Playboy Celebrity Feature: Beyond the Nude
The term "celebs for Playboy" has radically changed. While the magazine's history is inextricably linked to nude photography, the modern iteration is focused on content that is "safe for work" (SFW) while still being provocative, or on collaborations that extend into fashion and lifestyle.
The brand is actively trying to remove barriers to entry for A-list talent by focusing on collaborations that highlight the star's personal power, fashion sense, and entrepreneurial spirit, rather than just their body.
Other Recent and Notable Celebrity Collaborations (2024–2025)
While Lori Harvey is the biggest print feature, other celebrities have recently engaged with the brand, highlighting its new, broader scope:
- Nicola Peltz: The actress stunned in a Playboy Bunny-themed Instagram shoot in late 2024, showcasing how the brand is now using its iconic imagery for high-fashion, social media-driven content.
- Sabrina Carpenter: The pop star donned a Bunny Suit during her "Short n' Sweet Tour" in October 2024, indicating that the Bunny logo is now a recognized fashion and cultural symbol used for celebrity-endorsed merchandise and style.
- Ines Rau: The groundbreaking feature of Ines Rau, Playboy's first-ever transgender Playmate, demonstrated the brand's commitment to moving "beyond the male-female binary" and embracing inclusivity in its modeling and storytelling.
- Fashion and Merchandise: Collaborations with high-end fashion brands like Supreme, Marc Jacobs, and Nude Project show that many celebrities are engaging with the brand purely through its lifestyle, clothing, and footwear lines, such as the iconic Steve McQueen collaboration.
The Pantheon of Iconic Celebrity Centerfolds
To fully appreciate the new direction, one must look back at the stars who risked their careers to appear in the magazine, defining eras of glamour and controversy. These celebrity appearances were pivotal moments in pop culture history, often catapulting the star's career or signaling their artistic independence.
The sheer number of famous names who have appeared in the magazine provides the historical "topical authority" and a deep well of relevant entities for this subject. Their stories are a testament to the magazine's cultural impact.
20 Iconic Celebrities Who Defined Playboy’s Legacy
These stars, spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s, used the magazine as a platform for reinvention, protest, or career advancement:
- Marilyn Monroe: The original cover star (1953), whose images launched the magazine's entire legacy.
- Pamela Anderson: Holding the record for the most Playboy covers, she is arguably the brand's most recognizable face.
- Madonna: Her 1985 feature coincided with her rise to global superstardom, solidifying her rebellious image.
- Lindsay Lohan: Posed in 2011, mimicking Marilyn Monroe's iconic style, a move that was a major news event at the time.
- Kim Kardashian: Her now-infamous pearl-covered spread was a key moment in her early reality TV career.
- Drew Barrymore: Appeared in 1995, a shoot that was part of her public reclamation of her career and image.
- Jenny McCarthy: A former Playmate of the Year who leveraged the platform into a successful television career.
- Denise Richards: Posed in 2004, following her major film roles, confirming her status as a Hollywood sex symbol.
- Jessica Alba: Posed in 2006, fresh off her box office successes like "Fantastic Four."
- Carmen Electra: A frequent cover model throughout the late 90s and 2000s.
- Shannen Doherty: The "good girl" actress who posed in 1993, creating significant media buzz.
- Cindy Crawford: One of the supermodels who graced the magazine's pages in the 90s.
- Kate Moss: Another supermodel whose collaborations blurred the line between high-fashion and the centerfold.
- Naomi Campbell: Featured in a high-profile spread, adding to the magazine's fashion credibility.
- Dolly Parton: The country music legend appeared on the cover in 1978.
- Sharon Stone: Posed in 1990, coinciding with her rise to fame.
- Brooke Shields: Appeared in the magazine's iconic past.
- Farrah Fawcett: Her 1995 photoshoot became one of the magazine's best-selling issues.
- La Toya Jackson: Appeared in the 1989 issue.
- Elizabeth Taylor: Although a non-nude feature, her interview and presence were a major celebrity coup.
The legacy of these stars, who used the platform to express their sexuality and independence, directly informs the current celebrity strategy. Today, however, the platform is broader, encompassing not just the magazine but also digital hubs and merchandise.
Playboy’s Strategic Rebranding: A Modern Celebrity Lifestyle Brand
The current leadership is steering the brand away from its legacy as a print-first men's magazine and towards a digital-first, inclusive, and celebrity-led lifestyle brand. This strategic rebranding is the key to understanding why A-list talent like Cardi B and Lori Harvey are now associating with the Bunny logo.
The company is leveraging its instantly recognizable brand equity—the iconic Bunny logo—to drive sales in high-margin areas like apparel, accessories, and sexual wellness products. The celebrity collaborations, whether a cover shoot or a creative director role, serve to validate the brand’s shift into these new markets. The focus is on a sophisticated, inclusive, and modern conversation about sexuality, pleasure, and personal freedom.
In essence, the "celebs for Playboy" narrative has evolved from a simple modeling gig to a complex business partnership. For a celebrity today, appearing in or collaborating with Playboy is a statement of cultural power, an embrace of bold femininity, and a strategic move to tap into a revitalized global brand that is actively competing in the creator economy and high-end lifestyle space. The 2025 relaunch with Lori Harvey is not an attempt to relive the past, but a bold declaration of the brand's future.
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