Katariina Souri

If Finnish model Katariina Souri wasn’t exotic enough, what with her jet-black hair and sultry accent, then her mentality definitely puts her over the top. “Scandinavians are supposed to be so free about sex—but we don’t have anything like Dr. Ruth on television,” says blue-eyed Katariina. “Maybe one of these days, when I’m older, I’ll go on TV and be Finland’s Dr. Ruth.” The Helsinki, Finland native enjoys pushing boundaries and bulldozes through barriers. Katariina grew up as an only child and, admittedly, was spoiled by her attorney parents. As a young teenager, Katariina’s adventurous spirit wanted nothing more than to leave Finland and explore the world. She signed up for an exchange program where she was sent to study at Stevens High School in Rapid City, South Dakota. “Finland was too quiet for me. I dressed punk. I dyed my hair blonde—or red and black—or wore it in a Mohawk. I wore wigs, and sometimes a tuxedo, to school,” reminisces Katariina of her high school days. “They found me pretty wild.” Punk rock Katariina’s manner of dressing isn’t the only thing that was uncommon for the kind folks of South Dakota. Her taste in men was completely different from that of most American women. “One of my boyfriends in Finland used to wear make-up. We'd go out and some people thought we were sisters. It was kind of embarrassing, but kind of interesting, too,” says the busty model. “I don't go crazy over how many muscles a guy has or how hairy his chest is. I kind of like skinny, feminine guys.” With Eurostyle men being in short supply in America, Katariina jet-setted back and forth between the U.S. and Europe, landing a spread in the Italian edition of Playboy—from there, it wasn’t long until she was an American Playmate, Miss December 1988. Bold and beautiful Katariina, whose style had always been controversial, couldn’t have been happier about becoming a Playmate. From Finland to Italy, all the way to the United States, our wild child Playmate’s unique beauty translates into any language with ease.