Runa Lucienne — Biography
Born Runa Alyse Lucienne on August 6, 1988, in the nation's capital, Washington D.C., this American model and actress embarked on her professional journey in her late teenage years. Her career has seen her grace the pages of numerous magazines, feature in music videos, walk fashion runways, and star in national advertising campaigns. A significant milestone was achieved in November 2010 when Lucienne made history as the first African-American Playboy Bunny to work at the Playboy Club in Macao. Her association with Playboy continued with promotional appearances, including a notable guest spot on Sirius/XM's Playboy Radio Morning Show. Lucienne also participated in Season 5 of Project Runway, initially as the chosen model for designer Keith Bryce. Though she exited the competition, she returned for the finale to walk the New York Fashion Week runway in 2008 for Suede, another designer from the same season. She was also recognized as the runner-up in the Miss New York USA pageant in 2010. Lucienne's television credits include appearances on popular shows such as How I Met Your Mother, Hot in Cleveland, Hart of Dixie, Up All Night, the Fox Sports NFL Sunday Pre-Game Show, MTV's Total Request Live, MTV's Suckerfree Sunday, and the KTLA Morning News. Her music video portfolio features work with artists like Taio Cruz in "Falling in Love" and Mary J. Blige featuring Trey Songz in "We Got Hood Love." Publications that have featured her include Elle, Cosmopolitan, King, and Slam. Her national ad campaigns have been for brands such as Mandee clothing store, Outre, and Regis Hair Salons. In 2012, Runa Lucienne broke another barrier, becoming the first African-American Monster Energy Girl. In this role, she traveled to various events representing Monster Energy, including engagements at Anaheim, Ft. Hood Army/Air Force Base, and Ft. Bliss Army/Air Force Base. Born in Washington D.C., Lucienne was raised in Toledo, Ohio, where she attended St. Ursula Academy, an all-girls Catholic institution. During her high school years, she was active in basketball and track and field, as well as the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS). In her final year of high school, she set a school record in the high jump at 5'4" and later secured 12th place at the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division 1 Track and Field Championships. Following high school, she relocated to New York City to pursue studies in mechanical engineering at Hunter College and subsequently City College, while simultaneously advancing her modeling and acting career. As a freshman at Hunter College, she competed in track and field, winning both the indoor and outdoor conference championships in high jump. She also participated in the annual Colgate Women’
