Playboy Playmate Dominique Jane Shares Message on Body Positivity

(Playboy/Sasha Eisenman)

Meet Playboy’s Miss August for 2015: your classic girl next door.

Dominique Jane has a look that reminds you of that pretty neighbor you used to know, the one who could easily pass as a model thanks to her statuesque figure and flawless features. However, the idea of that girl actually becoming a tantalizing centerfold is just the stuff of dreams, right?

In Jane's case, it’s actually true.

Jane, who hails from California, was recently crowned Miss August 2015 by Playboy, becoming the first redheaded Playmate to receive the coveted honor this year. What's more, she accomplished this feat by presenting her “100-percent natural shape” for the men’s lifestyle magazine, which has famously featured some of history’s most curvaceous pinups including Pamela Anderson, Anna Nicole Smith, and of course, Marilyn Monroe.

But Jane, who has been working as a professional model for the last 10 years and toured as a dancer with Kanye West, is determined to use her latest accomplishment to spread a body-positive message for women feeling insecure about their perceived shortcomings.

FOX News Magazine spoke exclusively spoke with Jane about her path to Playboy, and how she hopes to be an inspiration to other women.

FNM: How did you first get discovered as a model?

DJ: I always wanted to be a model. I would always tell my parents that, but they wanted me to do it on my own terms. Janice Dickinson discovered me while I was working at a restaurant while I was still in college. She asked me to be on her show, "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency." I was there right when I moved to Hollywood to pursue my modeling and acting career. Being on Janice’s show gave me some exposure.

FNM: What was the most important lesson you learned from Janice on becoming a model?

DJ: You have to own your confidence and be your own boss. She’s not the easiest person to deal with, but Janice does have a really big heart. She taught me a lot on becoming confident, and [on having] that thick skin you need to survive in this industry.

FNM: How did Playboy approach you?

DJ: After Janice, I continued modeling and worked with great photographers like Terry Richardson, Greg Gorman and Matthew Rolston through my agency, which has been very supportive in letting me be my own boss. Sasha Eisenman, a photographer who worked with my agency for a really long time, saw my photos and asked if I would be interested in [shooting for Playboy]. I definitely was, so I did the test and then Hef approved me!

FNM: Who's your favorite Playboy cover girl of all time and why?

DJ: I love Drew Barrymore, and her Playboy came out when I was in high school. I always thought it was so cool, and to this day, I still remember the cover distinctly. I still see it in my mind. I grew up in Topanga, which is a free-spirited, liberal place in California, so I’ve definitely seen Playboy from the time that I was very young — like six or seven — through the parents of friends. It was a very communal place, so I just remember them in friends’ houses and just going, "Oh, wow!" But I do clearly remember the Drew Barrymore cover. I loved her so much that, after I saw it, I would go, "One day, I hope to be in Playboy!" My friends would laugh about it, but now I get numerous phone calls from everyone in high school saying, "You really did it!"

FNM: Could you describe what that day was like, shooting the spread for Playboy?

DJ: I was super excited on the day that I found out I was going to do it. Then, it just felt like everything came into place so perfectly. We shot it at a place called Good Luck Bar in Los Angeles. I’m Irish and I’m a believer of ‘the luck of the Irish,’ so I thought that was really cool. It also took place on the actual day of Chinese New Year. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect shoot. I felt like my dreams were coming true.

FNM: How did you feel about delivering a completely different look for such an iconic brand like Playboy?

DJ: I definitely feel that Playboy is going in a different direction, [but] I’m not the first girl without implants. I just never knew that I would have the opportunity. And even today, when my friends say, "She’s Miss August!" people are surprised and go, "Wow, she’s so natural-looking. We wouldn’t have pictured her as a sex icon in the magazine." I did look back at issues from the ‘60s and ‘70s and those models definitely resembled a more natural, diverse look.

I just felt like the honor of having Playboy choose me, and that I could be in the magazine, gave me the opportunity to celebrate the idea that you don’t need to succumb to society and social media’s expectations. You don’t need to alter yourself. You can just be yourself and your God-given beauty is what’s really important. You shouldn’t alter that to fit in. You should embrace it, stand out, and love yourself.

FNM: You previously admitted that you have insecurities, just like anyone else. How did Playboy help with that?

DJ: Playboy definitely helped me with my confidence. It’s a very vulnerable situation being naked out there for a lot of people to see, but I’m really happy that they’re showing me as the girl next door, because deep down, we are all the girl next door. I just hope I can open some doors for girls to walk through and feel confident about themselves and love their bodies no matter what. When I was younger, I would wonder if implants would help me get different types of jobs or become a Playmate. This is such a surreal experience, but the fact that Playboy chose me for being who I am, that just really helped my confidence. That’s what I want to show other girls.

FNM: You come from a conservative Irish household. How did your family's react to you becoming Miss August?

DJ: My situation was a little bit funny because my dad was very excited about it. He hasn’t seen the spread, but I sent him a picture of the article Playboy wrote about me, and I couldn’t have asked for a better description of how they wrote it.  My mom is a little more conservative, but now she’s very excited. Her first reaction was a little bit of shock, but she really opened up. She thinks the message I’m trying to get across is very powerful and can really help other girls. And I think it’s made her a little less conservative. I think she’s becoming a little more open to different types of sexuality, and just being who you are. It’s kind of funny.

FNM: Were you nervous meeting Hugh Hefner?

DJ: He’s an icon, so of course I was very nervous to meet him, and I didn’t know when I would even get a chance to meet him. I haven’t gotten a chance to see him since the interview, but I will be at his famous "Midsummer’s Night Dream" party, so I’m hoping to see him again. His wife Crystal is really sweet, too. I’m just getting my feet wet with the Playboy family.

FNM: How do you stay in shape throughout the year?

DJ: That’s a really funny question because I do have somewhat of a poor eating habit. I’m trying to get better. I do like junk food, I do slip up, but cooking at home has definitely been something that’s really helped me. I love eating out at restaurants, but just knowing what you’re putting in your body, knowing that you’re preparing it yourself, it makes a huge difference. And it’s amazing what working out can do to your body. I’m not excited to work out a lot, but once you do it and it’s done, you feel amazing, and you feel like you’ve accomplished something. I’ve been working out with a trainer because I really need the help. I just can’t do it on my own. I know that sounds funny, but way before even Playboy happened, I began working out with a trainer and it’s made a big difference on my confidence. I felt like my body was prepared for the shoot once it happened.

So that, and doing a lot of squats.

FNM: What’s next for you?

DJ: I really want to pursue acting, but I’m just preparing for any opportunities that may come my way. That’s what’s really important to me right now. I ultimately want to be Playmate of the Year, as well as a spokesperson for younger girls who might fall into peer pressure on how to look or be. I don’t really know what’s going to happen, honestly, but I’m really interested in finding out. I just really hope people see me as a positive role model for girls. I just want the beauty doors to be opened, so that anyone can confidently walk through them and be happy with who they are.