Game Set Match

“I want 110 percent of what life offers me,” says Olga de Mar. “Why should we put boxes around ourselves? Just enjoy it. Experience the world.” Our October Playmate practices what she preaches: In the days leading up to her interview with PLAYBOY, Olga crushed photo shoots in Spain, Germany, Portugal and Italy, where she’s currently based. “Usually I’m leaving my house at three in the morning to catch the first flight out and I’ll get back around midnight, which gives me three hours to sleep,” she explains. “But I’m used to it! If I have two days off, I get bored.”

Born and raised in Latvia, Olga got her start in fitness competitions, but she always knew what she wanted to be. “I’ve been posing since the first time I saw a camera. I set up photo shoots with my cousins when I was a little kid.” As it developed, her modeling career was met with a measure of parental doubt. “My mother said, ‘What kind of job is that, posing in front of a camera? Who would pay you for that?’” A lot of people, as it turns out. And after stints as a bartender, waitress and housekeeper (oh, and she had a job on a sailboat), Olga went all-in on her lifelong dream.

While she might be described as the jet-setting European supermodel next door, Olga would like to remind us not to judge by appearances. Sure, she speaks seven languages and exudes classic sex appeal, but this woman of the world insists that what you see on social media isn’t the whole Olga de Mar. “My persona is provocative, but in real life I’m soft and simple,” she says. “People expect me in minidresses with eight-inch heels and my hair done, and they’re pleased to discover I’m not that kind of person.” So what kind of person is she? Olga puts it best: “I’m a gypsy.”

Data Sheet

BIRTHPLACE: Daugavpils, Latvia CURRENT CITY: Milan, Italy

Italian Lessons

The first time I went to Italy, I thought, Oh my God, I feel like this is my country. People smile! The food is tasty! Everyone is so beautiful and nice! It was like paradise. Still, it was a hard adjustment. In Latvia, if I plan something, that means I’m going to do it. In Italy, it’s like, “Come on, let’s go drink!”

Free Style

I like a guy who’s curious about life and wants to discover all it has to offer. Someone who’s intelligent with a lightness of character, never complaining and always smiling. A hippie without the hippie lifestyle!

Open Your Heart

Inspiration from many sources can make me feel sexy. It could be a beautiful flower, a good book or a dramatic film that makes you cry.

Jealous Much

Jealousy is a turn-off. I don’t agree when someone says, “If you’re not jealous, you must not love me.” It’s the opposite. If you’re jealous, then you’re not sure about me—and you’re not sure about yourself.

Buon Pomeriggio

I could die for good food. I never drank wine or coffee before moving to Italy. It’s so good and so cheap here! Now if I’m having lunch and it’s not with a glass of wine, it’s not a good lunch.

Strong Enough to be Weak

Feeling feminine and showing weakness is beautiful to me. Women like Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren—they could be emotional, laugh and cry. Never shy and always open. Only a strong woman can show herself to be weak, and the same goes for men. If a man can cry and say he's sorry, it means he’s strong.

Happy-Go-Lucky

Your life is so rich. Don’t waste time comparing it to someone else’s. There is plenty of happiness to be had. If you make people around you happy, you’ll be much happier. Make lots of friends, because they will bring life to your life.

Character Studies

When I started out, I was living in an apartment with eight other models—some of the most beautiful girls in the world. I was working like crazy while some of them booked zero jobs. That showed me it’s about your character and not just what you look like. If you're annoying or don’t actually like your job, you won’t get hired.