Ines Rau Bio
Ines Rau is a French model, Playboy Playmate, actress, writer, and transgender rights advocate from Paris, France. Also known as Ines-Loan Rau, she entered the Playboy archive with a poised, international presence and a career already shaped by fashion, self-expression, and cultural change.
Ines Rau became Playboy’s Playmate of the Month in November 2017, making history as the magazine’s first openly transgender Playmate. Her selection was a significant moment in Playboy history, but it was also the continuation of an established relationship with the magazine. Ines had previously appeared in Playboy’s May 2014 A-Z issue in the editorial Evolution, a feature exploring the growing recognition of gender identities beyond the traditional binary.
Her November 2017 Playmate pictorial was photographed by Derek Kettela. The feature used a polished studio aesthetic, strong color, and precise fashion-led composition to present Ines with confidence and restraint. Her presence carried the control of an experienced model, but the images also reflected something more personal: the satisfaction of a woman being seen publicly on her own terms.
Born in Paris and raised in a French-North African family, Ines began transitioning during her teenage years. She later chose to speak openly about her identity after spending years keeping that part of her life private. Her decision to come out became central to her public work, not because she wanted to be defined solely by being transgender, but because she understood the value of visibility for people who rarely saw themselves represented in fashion and popular culture.
Before receiving the Playmate title, Ines had already built an international modeling career. She appeared in Vogue Italia, worked with Balmain, and developed a fashion profile that moved between couture, editorial photography, and major commercial projects. Her original Playboy feature also described earlier years dancing for prominent DJs in Ibiza, followed by a career that took her between Paris, New York, and other international fashion centers.
The November 2017 article presented Ines as a model with interests extending beyond fashion. She spoke about acting, martial arts, music, environmental protection, LGBTQ rights, and women’s rights. Her ambitions included film and performance, while her public advocacy focused on the freedom to live honestly without being confined by other people’s expectations.
Ines later expanded her career through acting, writing, activism, and continued fashion work. Her willingness to discuss identity and representation helped make her a visible figure within a generation of models changing how beauty, gender, and personal history could be presented by mainstream media.
Ines Rau’s place in Playboy history rests on more than being first. Her November 2017 appearance connected a major cultural milestone with a clear individual voice: sophisticated, self-aware, and unwilling to let one label contain the full scope of her life.
