CENTER STAGE

CENTER STAGE

PLAYMATE

Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for October Playmate Milan Dixon

Call it charisma. Call it the X factor. Whatever you call it, Milan Dixon has it—that preternatural quality that makes people want to be around her. She’s magnetic, a trait only enhanced by her bright, broad smile and absurdly high cheekbones. She is also dedicated. Before becoming a full-time model, the Las Vegas native worked at TGI Fridays for five years, squeezing in casting calls between shifts. “First I was a hostess and then a server after I turned 21. I saved up my money and moved to Los Angeles,” she recalls. “But I didn’t save enough, so I’d drive back and forth in my little FT Cruiser between tryouts in L.A. and my job in Vegas. I’d say, ‘Yes, I’m available,’ and just drive to Los Angeles right from work, then back to Vegas after a casting. I slept in my car a couple of times just to rest before driving home.”

Notwithstanding her tireless work ethic, Milan knows how to relax. “I’m a pretty chill person. Being from Vegas, people expect you to be a party girl. But not me!” That doesn’t mean she’s without a spontaneous side. “I will try anything,” she says.

“Even if it looks gross, give me a dollar or something, and I’ll do it. I’ve eaten stingray.”

When it comes to men, Milan is more specific. “Physically, I like them tall, dark and handsome. I like guys I can take home to Mom. Have your shit together. Anything that’s unique and different from me is a turn-on, and anything that’s the same as me is also a turn-on!” Milan also knows what she doesn’t appreciate. “I don’t like it when guys approach me saying, ‘Hey, slim.’ I get it, but I’m not going to respond to you. I know I’m slim.”

Our October Playmate believes wholeheartedly in the power of expression. “I’m all about positivity and being good overall,” she says. “What you’re thinking, what you’re feeling in your heart—once you speak it, it can come to pass.” Ultimately, though, that unmistakable magnetism comes from within. “After shooting, I feel like a totally different woman. I feel confident and comfortable. I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. It’s about being comfortable in my own skin.”

DATASHEET

AGE: 28 BIRTHPLACE: Las Vegas, Nevada CURRENT CITY: Los Angeles, California

LEAPS AND BOUNDS

I was a high jumper on my high school track team. I was pretty good, even though I didn’t like working out. I still don’t. I’m a little lazy when it comes to being active like that, but I like to walk around. I do some crunches here and there.

ALL GOOD THINGS

On my dream day, I’d wake up somewhere like Ibiza, in time for a good breakfast. Then I’d just lie out and read a good book. I love reading books.

SKIN IS IN

I’m into spa culture and I especially like nude spas. At first I was like, What is this? But now I just love it. You see beautiful women who have lost tons of weight and who have all this extra skin, women who’ve survived breast cancer. And here we

are on Instagram trying to get the perfect photo or make our butts look bigger. It’s good to see women who have overcome challenges in their lives and aren’t afraid to get out there.

GIRLCRUSHES

I love me some Lara Stone—her body, her realness, everything. And of course Naomi Campbell. I love the old-school icons too, like Diana Ross and Donna Summer. Older photos inspire me a lot, especially now that I’m rocking an Afro. That 1970s vibe is kind of my go-to look.

THROWBACK EVERY DAY

My Spotify playlists are loaded with music from the 1990s. I love it. R&B, stuff like Monica, Brandy, Tevin Campbell and Keith Sweat— that era. Boyz II Men? Yes, all of it. Notorious B.I.G., obviously, and Tupac is great too.

SNACK ATTACK

I’m a big snacker— Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Twizzlers. I’ll buy the big pack of Twizzlers and it will disappear within two days. It’s pretty bad. I always have to have my snacks.

HIDDENTALENT

I used to braid hair in high school. It was a side hustle I had going. Cornrows were my specialty. My mom’s a hairdresser, and my sister and I would hang out in her salon. She would give us a mannequin head to keep us busy, and we taught ourselves.

FLIPPING OUT

If modeling weren’t my career, I’d flip homes. I like the idea of finding something old and beatup and transforming it. I’m into the whole property world. I like watching home tours on YouTube. Embarrassing but true!