Runa Lucienne becomes the first African-American Playboy Bunny to work at the Playboy Club Macao in Macau, China since the club's opening in November 2010. Lucienne was chosen to be one of the 16 original Macao Bunnies out of thousands of applicants around the world.
On November 20, 2010, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. opened the Playboy Club Macao on the Top Floor of the Sands Macao Hotel in Macau, China. With a record number of 1,100 party attendees to the hotel’s penthouse space, the star-studded grand opening was a major success to the Playboy franchise and milestone in the development of Macau as one of the world’s top entertainment and gaming destinations.
Among the celebrities and party-goers attending the party was another breed of celebrity -Playboy Bunnies. The iconic Playboy Bunny suit was donned by more than a dozen Bunnies from six countries including, the United States, Australia, the Philippines, Estonia, Russia, and China, who are currently working at the Playboy Club Macao. Of the thousands of applicants, only 20 applicants were chosen including Runa Lucienne, the first African-American Playboy Bunny to work at Playboy Club Macao.
Runa Lucienne who grew up in Toledo, Ohio, is a model and actress who previously lived in New York City and Los Angeles before relocating to Macau, China. Currently the face of Outre’s Duvessa Remi hair products, Lucienne was a model on Project Runway Season 5, has been seen in magazines including Cosmopolitan, Elle, King, Slam, Source, and Jewel Magazine, and in numerous music videos including, “We Got Hood Love” by Mary J. Blige featuring Trey Songz, where she plays R&B heartthrob Trey Songz’s love interest.
Prior to her career with Playboy, Runa Lucienne studied mechanical engineering at the City University of New York, completed a 15-week mechanical engineering internship with NASA in 2009, volunteered as an Assistant Girl Scout Troop Leader, and was runner up to Miss New York USA 2010.
Runa Lucienne says she is thankful for the opportunity to work with Playboy, an iconic brands that empowers women, and will continue to serve as a positive role model in her community.
Diversifying the Playboy Bunnies at the Playboy Club Macao is in-line with the strategy for the executives at Playboy Enterprises. As seen in the documentary, Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, and Rebel, Hugh Hefner, the founder and CCO of Playboy Magazine, featured African-American writers in his magazine, and African-American performers on his television shows and at the original Playboy Clubs.
