Taken by the Beautiful Elisa Diaz
Meet Playboy New Zealand July 2024 cover star Elisa Diaz / @elis.bd.elis
Photographer Bruno Pixel / @brunopixel.fr
MUA & Stylist Erika Cristiani / @bycristianis
We’re happy to have you featured. Can you give us a bit of background on your career as a model and where it all started? Picture this: A sun-kissed Spanish señorita trades flamenco and tapas for fashion week and croissants! That was me at 18, landing in Paris with nothing but ambition and a killer strut, That’s where my modeling journey began a happy accident while I was knee-deep in the tech world. One day I’m optimizing websites, the next I’m strutting down runways in the fashion capital. Talk about a career pivot. But the real magic happened when I went for a girl’s weekend to Cannes and felt in LOVE with the city so I ended up calling it home for about 7 years!! Yes! Think ‘La Dolce Vita’ with a tech twist. It’s where I met a man at a Tony Robbins seminar because nothing says romance like self-help seminars, right!? Who swept me off my Louboutins and across the Atlantic. Now, I’m coding as a hobby in Arizona, US which has been home for the past 6 years. But between us? The Riviera still shoots me flirty winks. Who knows where I’ll strut next?
How do you usually begin your day? Mornings and I have a love-hate relationship – mostly hate until I’ve had my fresh squeezed orange juice. It’s my liquid sunshine, and trust me, this face needs its vitamins before facing the world. Once I’m vertical, I dive into the sexy world of software architecture. Yes, you heard right – sexy. Have you seen a perfectly executed algorithm? It’s like lingerie for the mind. While other ex-models might be contouring their cheekbones, I’m contouring databases. It’s a different kind of glamour, darling, but it keeps me on my toes just like a pair of 6-inch heels used to.
If you could spend a day doing anything you wanted, what would it be and why? My perfect day? It’s a jet-setting cocktail of pleasure and power. I’d start with a languorous lunch in Seville – picture me savoring jamón and rioja with family, channeling my inner Spanish aristocrat. Then, I’d hop over to Saint-Tropez for sunset champagne with a curated group of friends. Think ‘Talented Mr. Ripley,’ but with better wi-fi and fewer homicidal tendencies. I’d cap it off in Arizona, losing myself in a midnight coding session. Unconventional? Perhaps. But when you’ve sipped the world’s finest wines, sometimes the most intoxicating thing is a perfectly executed line of code. As for who shares these moments with me? Let’s just say I’m open to applications, but the vetting process is rigorous. Very rigorous.
What are your favorite ways to unwind and relax when you’re not working or traveling? Relaxation for me is like a perfectly balanced mock cocktail – it needs just the right mix. A dash of Pilates for that burn-so-good feeling. A splash of golf, where I love surprising my partners with my 200-yard drive. It’s all in the hips. But my true escape? I’m working on my pilot’s license. There’s something deliciously empowering about having your hands on the throttle, be it in a Cessna or in life. And yes, sometimes I do all this solo. After all, the most intriguing rendezvous is often with oneself. Though I’m not opposed to a co-pilot… if they can keep up.
Do you have any hidden talents, if so what is it? Hidden talents? Oh honey, I’m like a Russian nesting doll of surprises. In the kitchen, I can whip up a soufflé or a beautiful Paella that would make Gordon Ramsay weep with joy. My dinner parties? Legendary. Think ‘The Great Gatsby,’ but with better food and fewer tragic endings. But here’s the real shocker – step into my garage and you’ll find enough horsepower to make Vin Diesel jealous. From dirt bikes to supercars, I love machines that purr… or roar. Life’s too short to be one-note, don’t you think? I prefer to be a symphony. It keeps things interesting, especially in the… let’s call it ‘personal’ department.
What’s the best place you have ever been to in the world? The best place? That’s like asking a sommelier to pick just one wine! But if I must…Sardinia is my soul’s happy place. It’s where I go when I need to remember that sometimes, doing absolutely nothing is everything. Ibiza, Marbella, or NYC, on the other hand, is where I go to remember that sometimes, doing absolutely everything is necessary. But let’s not forget winter wonderlands!! I’ve spent magical winters carving up the slopes in Courchevel and St. Moritz. There’s something intoxicating about the mix of adrenaline and aprés-ski. Surprisingly, I haven’t made it to Aspen yet since moving to the States – it’s top of my list for next winter. A girl’s got to have something to look forward to, right? For sheer ‘pinch me, I’m dreaming’ moments, it’s got to be Dubai. It’s like someone took the world’s wildest dreams and said, ‘Let’s make this happen… in the desert.Though honestly? The best place is wherever I feel most alive. Sometimes that’s in Monaco or Rome, sometimes it’s coding in my PJs in Arizona, and sometimes it’s racing sports cars. Life’s all about variety, right?
What are some of your biggest dreams you hope to achieve? Dreams? At this point, I’m living them! But I’m always looking for the next mountain to climb… or plane to board. I’m flirting with the idea of learning Mandarin or Arabic. There’s something seductive about a language that makes your tongue dance. But my biggest dream? It’s to keep surprising myself. To wake up each day and think, ‘Well, this should be interesting.’ Whether that’s through philanthropy, mentorship, or finding that one person who can match my appetite for life… I’m open to all of it. After all, life is like a good book – the real joy is in not knowing what the next chapter holds, but being excited to turn the page anyway.
Three things that you can’t go a day without. There is nothing that I can’t go a day without.
Looking back, what advice would you give to younger yourself? I’d tell her: ‘The comfort zone is lovely, but nothing extraordinary ever happens there.’ I’d encourage her to take more risks – say yes to that avant-garde photoshoot, invest in that tech startup everyone thinks is crazy. Oh, and I’d slip her a note about Bitcoin circa 2010. Most importantly, I’d say: ‘That voice telling you you’re too much – too ambitious, too opinionated, too sexy? It’s lying. You’re not too much, they’re just not enough.
That said, what advice would you give to all the women out there when it comes to love and relationships? Love yourself first, fiercely and unapologetically. It’s not selfish, it’s essential. A relationship should be the cherry on top of your already delicious life sundae, not the whole dessert. Don’t just seek a partner – seek a co-conspirator someone who sees your wild dreams and raises you even wilder ones. And remember, chemistry is great, but shared values and mutual respect? That’s the real aphrodisiac. Lastly, never compromise your essence for a relationship. The right person will love you not despite your quirks, but because of them. Your coding obsession at 2 AM? Your penchant for impromptu trips to St. Moritz, Cabo, or Bermudas? That’s your magic, honey. The right partner will not just accept it but celebrate it.
Are there any qualities or traits you find particularly attractive in a partner and what do you value the most? Intellect with a dash of mischief is my kryptonite. Give me someone who can debate the implications of AI one minute and plan a spontaneous midnight skinny dip the next. I melt for multilingual whispers and multicultural perspectives. There’s something irresistibly sexy about a global mindset – bonus points if they can recommend the best gelato in Rome and the hottest tech startups in Tokyo. But what really sets my heart racing? Emotional intelligence paired with raw passion. Someone who’s as comfortable navigating feelings as they are navigating the slopes of Gstaad. A partner who can read my mood as skillfully as they read market trends. And let’s not forget good old-fashioned gumption. Ambition is attractive, but the resilience to weather setbacks and still come out swinging? That’s the stuff of my fantasies.
Thanks so much for your time. Where can our readers follow you on social to stay up to date on what you’re up to? Ah, social media – my digital catwalk and coding showcase rolled into one. I must confess, I’m a bit of a social media tease. I don’t post much – a girl’s got to maintain some mystery and privacy, right? But I promise to try and share a bit more of my world. Instagram is where I make my rare appearances. It’s like a digital postcard – a glimpse into my life, but never the full picture!! One day you might see me debugging in Dolce, the next carving up slopes in Courchevel, or driving in a Jeep on the roads of Hawaii. But remember darlings, social media is just the appetizer. The main course of life happens offline, in the real world!! Follow me on IG for more: @elis.bd.elis // Elisa Diaz.
