Vanessa Arietta De Luca (born February 11, 1982) is an American media personality, business owner, spokesperson and model. She has worked as a model in Paris, London, Tuscany, Miami and New York.[1] She is currently with Wilhelmina Models in Miami.
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Vanessa De Luca was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents, from Italy, were visiting family in the United States when she was born. The couple stayed in Philadelphia for five years after Vanessa was born but soon had to return to Italy. Wanting Vanessa to have more opportunity in life, they decided to leave her in the United States with her Aunt while they worked on becoming US citizens back in Italy. When Vanessa was eight her parents returned to the United States and moved to Philadelphia. Vanessa and her family struggled through life in the United States but made the best out of what they had. De Luca attended West Philadelphia High School from 1997 to 2001, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.
While working at a local Philadelphia restaurant at the age of 17, De Luca was spotted by a representative from Wilhelmina Models. De Luca and the representative had a brief conversation, and soon De Luca was in the studio working with Wilhelmina Models.
In 2005 De Luca finally got her big break. While on vacation in New York, De Luca knew that Baby Phat was looking for new models and took a chance and interviewed. It paid off and De Luca became the newest member of the Baby Phat team. In 2006, after working with Baby Phat for nearly a year, De Luca did a shoot for DKNY and an additional shoot for Pelle Pelle with then-boyfriend Marques Colston. In 2008, however, De Luca became tired of the New York life and wanted to move to warmer climates, and decided to leave Baby Phat.
In August 2008, after three years of working with Baby Phat and meeting everyone that was anyone in the hip hop and acting community, De Luca decided to move south to Miami. When De Luca arrived in Miami she was immediately hired by Jägermeister to be a Jagerette (model/spokesperson).
2009 was the most successful year of De Luca's life. In February of that year she was offered a lucrative deal to be a model and spokesperson for Jimmy Choo. Since working for Jimmy Choo, De Luca has done shoots and met with clients in Paris, London, Tuscany, Miami and New York.
De Luca is currently in talks with Maxim magazine to do a shoot in the United Kingdom where the magazine is based.
In 2002 De Luca suffered the loss of her grandparents, both citizen of Tuscany. De Luca's grandmother, Arietta, was the owner of the De Luca Salon. When Arietta died in 2002 she left the salon to Vanessa.
De Luca's life was very busy and very schedule oriented, and she did not have much time for the salon, so her mother went back to Tuscany to run the day-to-day operations. Every three to six months De Luca would take time to visit the salon and make sure everything was just the way Arietta would want it.
De Luca Salon is still the most prominent salon in Tuscany.
In early 2009 while dating rapper Juelz Santana De Luca briefly appeared in the video for "Rocking That Sh!*" by R&B artist The-Dream.
Also in 2009 De Luca appeared in a video for rapper Mack 10 for the song "So Sharp".
Again in early 2009 De Luca appeared in the video for the song "Every Girl" by the up and coming Young Money Entertainment.
Soon after shooting the video for the song "Every Girl" De Luca made an appearance in the video for the song "Bedrock" also by Young Money Entertainment.
While living in New York in 2006 De Luca began dating a childhood friend from her days in Pennsylvania, Marques Colston. They soon decided to split up because of the conflicting schedules with her being a model and him being a receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.
In the winter of 2008 De Luca began dating rapper Juelz Santana, whom she met through Kimora Lee Simmons formerly the Creative Director of Baby Phat but currently the CEO of Phat Fashions. They dated until early 2009 soon after De Luca left New York to move to Miami.
In early 2009 while in Miami De Luca briefly dated NBA player Michael Beasley of the Miami Heat.
Soon after shooting the "Every Girl" video in 2009 De Luca began dating R&B singer Lloyd, whom she met through close friend Lil' Wayne.
De Luca currently owns two homes in Tuscany. One is her personal home, and the other is for her parents who in 2002 moved back to Italy after the death of De Luca's grandparents.
De Luca also bought her aunt a home in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Currently De Luca resides in the Brickell Park area of Miami.