Anita Pathammavong

March 2020 Playmate, Anita Pathammavong, has a strong sense of self. For this Laotian and now, New Yorker, her Playboy shoot was just another opportunity for self-connection. “I am naked; all around me, the energy is strong. In front of the lens, I can move, flow, and express myself completely,” she says on set. “The confidence I feel today is the result of an ever-evolving journey of exploration and self-acceptance.” Anita first came to the US when she was a child, and since then has been hyper-aware of portrayals of beauty in entertainment. “I was six years old when my family moved from Laos to the Virginia suburbs. My relationship [with] my body was mostly informed by what I saw on television,” she says. “After high school, I went to New York and immediately fell in love with the rhythm of the city. But when I started modeling, I had to compete in an industry that prioritized skinny bodies and European features.” Having struggled against these standards for most of her career, it is essential for Anita to feel she is making a difference with her modeling. “I believe that empathy is the first step to equality,” she says. “People should be able to open up magazines and see models of all shapes, sizes, and races. They should be able to see images of women they can relate to.” At the end of the day, Anita can teach everyone a thing or two about self-love and empowerment. “I am a model with curves, a woman of Southeast Asian, Native American, and European roots. I’m just proud to be me.” Learn more about Anita through her pictorial, right here on Playboy Plus.