Rania Benchegra: The Most Famous Moroccan Model in Hollywood

In the 15th episode of his series “Nayda F’Hollywood”, Simo Benbachir hosted Rania Benchegra, a model who immigrated to the United States and succeeded to realize her dream of becoming the most famous Moroccan model in Hollywood.

Rania talked about her beginnings in the world of fashion, which she entered by coincidence. She said that she was with her mother in a market, where she was noticed by a staff member of the famous Elite modeling competition, who invited her to participate in the completion, which Rania won later.

In a short period of time, Rania managed to sign a contract with Next, one of the largest modelling agencies with branches in many cities and capitals around the world, such as London, New York, Paris and Los Angeles. In her interview with Simo, Rania said, “This agency does not sign with just anyone, and is known for the fact that it represents the world’s greatest models. Fortunately, this agency was looking for a young woman like me, which allowed me to sign a contract quickly. They needed Arab beauty, a feature that is somehow rare in the United States. When I speak of Arab beauty, I am referring to Moroccan natural beauty. This is what distinguished me from other models and allowed me to participate in many advertising campaigns with the agency.”

Rania said she was proud of her experience with American designer Nicole Richie, daughter of the great artist Lionel Richie. It was not easy for her to be chosen by Nicole to participate in her advertising campaign. She was looking for three young women of different nationalities. She was amazed by Rania’s exotic look. “Working with her means a lot to me; she impressed me intensely. She is a very humble and professional person and we had no problems working together. My experience with her has opened many doors for me,” said Rania.

Regarding the difficulties she encountered in the States as a model, Rania explained that her Muslim religion and Moroccan traditions have led her to refuse certain practices, commonly accepted in the field of modeling, at the risk of delaying her career, adding that, “Muslim women today have their place in the world of fashion, and we now see Muslim women in hijab on the front page of American magazines, which is a very positive step”.

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