Stephanie

Biography courtesy and copyright of Stephanie Burton.
Stephanie

Stephanie

I was "Bunny Etienne" for my first two years at the Century City hutch because there was already a Stephanie AND a Roxanne (my middle name) at the club. So I chose Etienne which was my idea of a French translation of Stephanie. (I later learned it was really Stephen!!).

When Stephanie left, I was able to assume my real first name and finished out my five year stint as Bunny Stephanie. While working at the club, I brought in my first cousin (Andrea) for a visit, introduced her to our Bunny Mother, Pat "Lacey" Holvay, and she was hired on the spot. Bunny Andrea and I had a fabulous system working as my career as a makeup artist began to really take off. I would bid for shifts that she didn't have the seniority to get to and let her work them so I could keep my ears and tail as long as I could. I became know to our manager as the "Phantom Bunny" because I was there so rarely towards the end!

I treasure my memories at the Club and left there with lifetime friends and a treasure trove of memories. I met some of the most intriguing people and had entree to all of Hollywood because of our status as Bunnies. One treasured memory is of working the Playboy Jazz Festival and being escorted into the Hollywood Bowl surrounded by security and hearing the place erupt in cheers and applause! What a rush! We were treated like royalty. The same experience was echoed when I was "ring girl" at boxing matches at the Forum. Hearing my name chanted by thousands in the arena is an ego boost of epic proportions.

When the club finally closed, I was lucky enough to be in the photo with Hef that ran on the front page of the New York times. It was an even sadder moment, the day I drove to Century City and saw that the ABC Entertainment Center, where our Club was based, had been razed to make room for a new complex. I felt like part of my history had been torn down with it.

Thank goodness, my career as a makeup artist to the entertainment industry has flourished. I have sustained my viability in my industry even after taking down time to get married and give birth to a beautiful baby girl. That baby is now almost 16 and has already worn my ears and tail to a Halloween party. It is her supreme dream to follow in mom's footsteps and wear the Bunny costume, learn to dip and carry on the tradition of serving beauty and grace along with cocktails. As I see her grow into a beautiful young woman, I am confident that she will represent any hutch she chooses quite well.

Website: StephanieBurton.com