Maxim‘s former “World’s Sexiest Woman” sits down with W magazine to talk about the do’s and don’ts of lingerie, her daily beauty routine, and why she’d want to raid Reese Witherspoon’s underwear drawer.

W: How did you first get involved with Frederick’s of Hollywood?
MEGAN: I had a meeting with ABG [Authentic Brands Group], who acquired Frederick’s, and they were going to be relaunching the brand, and part of that meeting was about not just wanting to pay me to be the face of a company, but to give me part ownership, which would come with some creative control and the ability to design my own collection. It was a unique opportunity that most people don’t get. I didn’t really think I was going to be designing lingerie at any point in my life, but I thought, ‘What an interesting, fun challenge.’ It’s something I never anticipated.

Do you remember your first experience interacting with the brand?
When I first moved out to L.A., I was a teenager, maybe 17, and I always wanted the sexiest lingerie because I was raised in a really strict home with really religious parents. I love Victoria’s Secret, but they didn’t have the really naughty stuff that I wanted to wear. I went to the Frederick’s store on Hollywood Boulevard and bought a lot of stuff, and felt rebellious and empowered and excited that I got to wear all of this stuff that I knew my mom would die if she knew I was wearing.

What are your goals for the Frederick’s of Hollywood?
Of course empowering women is important, especially when you are dealing with lingerie because it does have such a history of existing solely to excite or engage a man, and the woman is lost in that process. I do think we need to change, or reverse that–not Frederick’s alone, but society in general. We also need to, and have plans to, make lingerie something that you can wear; something that’s daywear or nightwear to wear with clothes. That’s obviously a huge trend, and it’s something I want as a woman. I don’t want something that I can only wear on a very rare, special occasion. Those things are fun, but I do want access to stuff that I can wear and make fashionable. And I think that is empowering. We’re seeing a trend where people are wearing less clothes than ever, and that’s a very interesting thing that’s happening. It doesn’t seem like people are so body conscious in a negative way anymore. People are embracing their shape and wanting to show it.

What are the biggest do’s and don’ts when it comes to lingerie?
I don’t know if I have any don’ts. It’s so subjective what people think is sexy. What I like is not going to be what everyone else likes. In general, when I’m designing something, it needs to be something that looks good on every shape and size. You want someone who is a 32A to be able to wear the same thing who is a 36G. Everyone wants to be able to wear something that makes them feel sexy.

Whose lingerie drawer would you love to raid?
Of all famous women living right now? I’ve never thought about this before… I feel like it’s the ones that are really fun and sugar-y and sweet that have the girl-next-door image that would have the really, really, super naughty stuff, so maybe like a Reese Witherspoon or something?

Read the whole interview here. (Photo: Ellen Von Unworth)