Lauren Summer is the winner of the 2025 Great Playmate Search, the People’s Playmate, but when she arrived at the studio for her photoshoot earlier this month, she had no idea what to expect. She did have one wish, though: She adores classic Playboy, and hoped the artistic inspiration for her turn as Miss February would be retro in some way. Photographer Alana O’Herlihy must be telepathic—or some kind of “witch,” Lauren says—because she was thinking precisely the same thing.

O’Herlihy’s work—photos that look like nostalgic hyper-realist fever dreams—tends to marry vintage pop culture with new ideas and techniques. Her inspiration for Lauren’s shoot was a calendar by celebrated pinup artist Alberto Vargas, with the intent to turn a set of his fantastical paintings into actual photos. (Locating the originals, O’Herlihy says, can be a “fun little Easter egg hunt” for those who are so inclined.)

Pulling off the lengthy shotlist required a full day of work, elaborate sets, costumes that were constructed directly on Lauren’s body, and at least one outrageous blonde wig. Best of all? It was a hell of a lot of fun.

Enjoy this sneak peak of Lauren’s Miss February photoshoot. To see the rest, pre-order our Spring issue now.

Playboy: How did the shoot go? I know when we talked before you said you were so excited for it.

Lauren: It’s so funny because after I won [The Great Playmate Search], everyone was like, “Oh my gosh, do you get a say in what it’s gonna be? What do you wish that the theme was?” And I was like, “If I could have any say, I wish that it could be like ’50s Playboy, pinup-y or retro in some way.” And then I get there and the hair and makeup show up and they’re like, “Do you know the theme? We’re doing ’50s pinup.” And I was like, “You actually have to be kidding.” It was insane. [To Alana] You’re a witch.

Alana: That’s what my therapist said.

PB: What was the day like?

Lauren: It was go, go, go. I got there, did hair and makeup. They built the first look on me in real time. It was just a thong. And then they started to paste feathers all over my body and onto the thong. And then add a feather into my hair. It was like they were customizing a video game character. And then: OK, next look. Put a ribbon in the hair and get in the tub. I’m getting covered in bubbles. We had so many shots. It was crazy. And I love, love having the fire under my ass at a shoot like that. It just makes it so much more fun.

PB: Where did all this wild inspiration come from?

Alana: I had a bunch of crazy ideas. Like I wanted to shoot Beach Babes from Beyond, which is this old porno from the ’90s that I love. I have wanted to do a shoot based on that for a million years. And [Playboy’s art director] was like, “That’s like a bit much for now, let’s tone it down for this one, but I love your ideas.” But the thing is, I’m never short on ideas. So it was just: Where can I meet them in the middle?”

PB: When did the blonde wig come out?

Lauren: We started off with my regular hair, in pinned-up curls. And then halfway through, we did the blonde wig and I was like, Oh, I get it. Maybe blondes do have more fun. It was like someone took over me, like the ghost of Marilyn Monroe.

PB: Lauren, you’ve said that you hope to use your platform as the People’s Playmate to educate men about women’s health and dating. If there’s one thing that you could tell all men, what would it be?

Lauren: Oh my gosh, how much time do I have? I think since my PMDD [Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder] diagnosis three years ago, I’m so into learning about hormones. I just want men to be a little more understanding of maybe why we’re a little bit more tired and maybe a little bit more irritable before our periods. We go through a lot.

PB: Time for the fun questions, do you have any secret talents?

Lauren: Funny, ill-timed impressions. Like really stupid, silly impressions. They’re not great, but they’re entertaining.

Alana: You did a great Marilyn impression on set.

Lauren: Oh God. Thank you! Yeah, like a Marilyn or a Jennifer Coolidge. After one drink at a party, I’m just like, [Jennifer Coolidge groan]. I don’t know if that’s a talent or a curse, if it’s an annoyance to people around me.

PB: That was pretty good. I’m impressed. Who would be your ideal dinner party guest?

Lauren: Hugh Hefner and Marilyn Monroe, and we’re at Nobu Malibu for some reason.

Alana: I have a problem with this question because I think that a lot of times you shouldn’t meet your heroes. But I’m getting unnecessarily philosophical. Probably David Lynch or Dalí, or for the purposes of this shoot, maybe Vargas would be cool.

Lauren: That’s such a good one. God damn it. Vargas.

Alana: You can take one of mine.

Lauren: Oh my God, I love it. Yes. We’e merging dinner parties.

PB: Your Playmate feature will appear in the spring print issue, so I have to ask, what is your dream spring-break vacation?

Lauren: You know what, the countryside of Europe in a field full of sheep. Wearing a flowy dress and no bra.

Alana: Maybe Switzerland in some sort of Alps situation with a sauna and a bed outside for napping and a bed inside for napping and then I could just sleep for the whole time and sauna.

PB: Ok last spring question: Bad Bunny or the Easter Bunny?

Lauren: Oh, Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny all day every day. I love that man.