She is incredibly driven, and has gained notoriety from being one of the chosen few to rise to the rank of Playmate status. But, behind the façade of a magazine or the glimpse of a fun girl at an LA hotspot lies an individual who also has her own idea of paradise, a stunning sense of business savvy, and her own unique story to tell.
A Virginia native, Charis was born on August 31st in Alexandria – not too far from our nation’s capital. Her distinctive appeal is a result of a good mix in her ancestry. Her father, Beau, is Dutch and her mother Susan is English and Cherokee Indian. For those of you wondering what her rather uncommon name means, it is of Greek origin, and its meaning is "grace." In Greek Mythology the Three Graces were symbols of womanly beauty, charm, and inspiration. From a superficial standpoint, Charis certainly encompasses all three qualities but she is more than meets the eye.
Charis has always been a bit precocious and outgoing. At the tender age of seven, she began horse riding, invariably leading her to a stint in competitive show jumping. As an accomplished rider, she was rated the number one rider in her class for three consecutive years and competed in a broad range of shows including the Washington International Horse Show. At age fifteen, the thrill of the ride began to fade, and Charis officially retired from competition. This all seemed natural, as some things do – she simply wanted more time with her friends, to hang out and be a regular kid. The decision to continue as an athlete meant that she would continue her training as a full time career. She was ready to live.
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By seventeen Charis graduated high school and was eager to see what the world had to offer. With a sense of independence and fierce determination, she packed her bags, hopped into her Volkswagen bug and headed straight for California. She ended up living in San Diego for four years, moving from one menial job to the next. She was young, the beach along Mission Bay was nice, but she knew she needed to do something more than simply get by in life.
She started her next chapter in Philadelphia where she enrolled in the University of the Arts. Charis majored in industrial design but found herself interested in more intricate work, specifically - metal smithing and jewelry design. She quickly realized that life in her chosen field would likely translate to life as a starving artist until she could establish herself. In Philadelphia, she was able to refine a talent and a love, which she truly enjoyed, but she missed her life back in California. The choice was easy, if she was going starve, she might as well have fun while doing it, so she packed her bags and went back to Cali.
Shortly after moving bask to the west coast, Charis found herself traveling back-and-forth between her new home and her childhood home in Virginia, she quickly realized how much she truly loved both places. It didn’t take too long for the girl on the move, to be on the move again. Charis eventually decided to re-settle back in Virginia and utilize her keen eye and design skills on interior elements. Charis became one of the owners of Primacy Companies, a dominant force in the music and nightclub industry in Washington, DC. Along with a team of architects, she designed the look of each new venue opened by Primacy. Charis touched every detail from lighting fixtures and furniture down to the tiles and matchbooks. She would continue in this work for about 4 years.
In the midst of whipping the night scene into a frenzy over her inspired and innovative interior designs, Charis had a little inspiration of her own. She went into labor while hanging a mosaic wall of mirrors, the night of a club opening. Within hours, she gave birth to her son Jake. |
Motherhood motivated Charis in a number of different ways and she once again issued herself another unconventional challenge. She had always had a personal goal to tackle Playboy. Charis always thought the women in Playboy, like Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Paige, were the ultimate sex symbols. Now, she was a new mom, but she also felt she was at the absolute height of her own womanhood and sensuality, giving her a new sense of determination. Charis felt that if Playboy said “no”, it wouldn’t be too much of a let down, with Jake, she now had the most special thing in her life. Anything after him was simply icing on the cake.
Within a year, she flew to Chicago and met with Jeff Cohen the editor of special editions. Shortly after her first meetings in Chicago, Charis was shooting for her first appearance in Playboy’s Book of Lingerie in New York City. A year after the issue release, she was named one of Book of Lingerie’s top 10 models. She was a top 10 Book of Lingerie model the following year as well. Charis was obviously well on her way to establishing herself in the ranks of Playboy and quickly secured a spot as a Playboy Cyber Girl. While shooting for her Cyber Girl appearance, Charis wasn’t aware of the fact that Playboy was using the session as a test to see if she was centerfold material. As history tells, the photos were absolutely steller and a centerfold shoot was scheduled. At the time of her centerfold shoot, Charis would join an elite club by becoming one of only 615 Playboy Playmates since the magazine began publication in 1953.
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Once Mr. Hugh Hefner approved the shots, Charis was slotted to appear in the sweetheart month of February 2003. In the midst of the excitement of finding out when her issue would be released, Miller Light asked Playboy if they could use Charis as the spokesmodel for their national ad campaign and “Spin the Bottle Tour.” She signed on with Miller Light and was able to do several national ads and traveled to 9 major cities across the country as their official spokesmodel. After the tour Charis decided to settle back in California to continue modeling. Soon thereafter, she met Luke Burrett, the owner of SilverStar, an accessories and clothing company. The two initially started a collaborative, working relationship. Charis was interested in applying her practical skills in metal smithing and jewelry design, Luke was interested in having her represent the company as a spokesmodel. But, before long the chemistry between the two was undeniable and they inevitably tied the knot in a private Jamaican ceremony.
Charis and Luke share a formidable partnership encompassing both beauty and brains, inside and out. Taking inspiration from their California surroundings and travels around the world, they work hand in hand at SilveStar creating some of the most recognized belt buckles, rings, t-shirts and accessories in the world! As for Luke getting his spokesmodel, Charis graces the pages of some of the fiercest ads published in LA. |
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Keep your eyes open and stay tuned the site, just like her biography implies, Charis is a chameleon capable of changing at the bat of an eye. Blink and you might miss her next big thing. Thanks for stopping by, check out “news” for updates and definitely drop by SilverStar to see her at work. A popular Playboy socialite, don’t be surprised if you also catch her picture posted along with Hef and the girls on the Playboy events page over at playboy.com. |
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