'Orange' star trades jailbird jumpsuit for designer denim

LOS ANGELES -- Now sought-after for her edgy, androgynous style, actress Ruby Rose initially struggled to find her niche.

"When I first started in the industry back home in Australia at 18, there was a lot of push and shove as to how I should dress, if I was allowed to cut my hair short, if I had too many tattoos," Rose, 29, said in an interview. "If I didn't get a campaign or if I didn't get a role, they would always come back to, 'Well, she dresses like a boy.'"

Times have changed for the "Orange is the New Black" breakout star, who recently swapped her Litchfield Prison uniform for distressed overalls and cutoff shorts as the face of Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren.

Rose, who counts Vivienne Westwood, Annie Lennox and Madonna among her style icons, teamed with model Hailey Baldwin for the brand's latest social media and global ad campaign.

She credits her hit Netflix series along with Amazon's "Transparent" for sparking a dialogue about gender identity and acceptance in the entertainment industry and beyond.

In this Tuesday, Jan. 5, photo, actress Ruby Rose poses for a portrait in Los Angeles. The Orange is the New Black actress Rose trades her Litchfield jumpsuit for distressed overalls in a new campaign for Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren. Rose stars alongside model Hailey Baldwin in the brand's spring 2016 social media videos and global ads. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

"People were waiting to start this conversation," said Rose.

"Someone had to ignite it, and once that happened, it was just a snowball effect where you had celebrities and all different people coming out and saying, 'I'm gender fluid' or 'I'm transgender,' and people feeling more comfortable in their skin."