In this exclusive interview, we catch up with the charismatic Rayan Ricci, who graced the pages of Yummy 4 and is now making a stunning return in Yummy 8. Join us as we delve into Rayan's personal journey, cultural influences, and the transformative experiences that have shaped both his body and mind through these years. In this candid conversation, Rayan opens up about his multicultural background, the evolution of his physique, mental growth, and the intersection of fitness and fashion in his life. Additionally, he shares insights into confidence, the art of being sexy, and the unique experiences of his latest Yummy 8 photoshoot. So, fasten your seatbelts as we embark on a captivating exploration of Rayan Ricci's life and evolution, bridging the gap between Yummy 4 and Yummy 8.
Photo story by Christian oita, interview by Adrian Gomis Exposito
The images are cropped / made safe for online purposes, full images available inside Yummy Issue Eight
ADRIAN GOMIS EXPOSITO. Hello Rayan! It’s an incredible pleasure to have you back in Yummy. Last time we talked, we caught you in Dubai escaping the European cold weather. Where do you find yourself at the moment? How are you?
RAYAN RICCI. I am good, undergoing a significant change at the moment as I just moved to Los Angeles and am trying to adapt to this city. I thought I knew it already, but being a new French boy in town isn’t as easy as it may seem.
A.G.E. Last time we talked about many different topics, from your origins to your professional life. This time, I would like to keep it more personal. First, I am still curious about your cultural heritage as you're French with Italian and Lebanese roots. What does that multicultural combination look like in your daily life? For example, what type of food do you eat, the literature and music do you prefer, and what languages do you speak?
R.R. Well, first, I have to say, food-wise it is the best. Growing up having an Italian mom allowed me to get the best Italian food at home, and imagine adding Lebanese meals on top of that; my dad was a perfect cook and took pleasure in mixing his roots in the kitchen. I would say I had the best culinary experience growing up. Now, of course, life doesn’t limit to food (I wish) but also to some different energies, including religions. Even though we always spoke French at home, my dad is Muslim, my mom Christian, so let me tell you, it wasn’t fun all the time. What I thank them for is that they raised me and my brother out of any religion, allowing us to decide later on as adults what we wish to believe, if we ever feel the need to believe in something. That allowed me to grow up listening to whatever I wanted, disco and house music most of it, as it was what my mom used to listen to at home while cleaning. I love vintage music as movies, everything between the 50s to the 90s you can count me in. Not a big fan of anything past the 2000s.
A.G.E. You travel quite a lot. What motivates you to travel, and how does it enrich the way you see the world and life in general? Why do you enjoy travelling? Tell us about any life-changing travelling experiences you’ve had.
R.R. Growing up, the only travel my family and I were doing was to go to Lebanon. Each year, we had the opportunity to go for one month during the summer to see my dad’s family. I always had this need to discover new places, meet new people, and new cultures. I always knew I didn’t belong to Paris and wanted to move to the US really bad. I learned English the best way possible and declined going to Lebanon anymore from my 17th birthday. I started travelling and I realized I loved it. My first travel out of Lebanon was to Barcelona, and I remember being like a Chinese tourist in Paris. I was taking pictures of everything; luckily I had some Spanish skills from school, so it wasn’t hard for me to be understood, and I met amazing people. Travel allowed me to start modelling. I wasn’t really their type in Paris, I guess, but as I say, your worth changes depending on where you are.
A.G.E. You mentioned that your community followed your body transformation. How do you feel your physique has evolved from the first time you appeared in Yummy 4 to your current physical appearance shown in Yummy 8? What are you most proud of regarding this evolution?
R.R. When we shot Yummy 4, I was a totally different person. I was in a relationship, new in London, starting a new proper diet I still follow today, and it was my very first full naked shoot. Until that, I only shot in underwear or swimsuits, nothing less. The shoot we did with Smiggy gave us amazing pictures, of course, but between that shoot and the one I had with Christian Oita for this current issue, so much happened in my life. During that, I had the time to really take conscience about my body, and the image I wanted to give (almost) and work out hard. I personally don’t see the evolution of my body as much as my community does, as I see myself every day. But it encourages me and makes me really happy when someone says that I am a source of inspiration to them, of course. Who wouldn’t be when you are doing what you like and getting the support of people around?
A.G.E. Trespassing the physical appearance, I also wonder about the mental transformation you’ve also experienced in this time period. If you feel comfortable talking about mental health, how would you say your mind has changed over the years? Would you say you’re the same emotionally?
R.R. I feel like I am growing more and more. I am not the same today as I was before and won’t be the same tomorrow either. Growing up in a healthy and positive environment is very important for your mental health. This explains why I have been cutting people off from my life. People surrounding me need to bring me a positive mindset to push me up and let me focus in the best way possible. I am not asking anything from anyone and never did. I am totally focused already and just want people to first understand what am I focused on, have a nice and respectful approach to me and especially to be true, not fake. I have been surrounded by too many dramatic people and gossip early in my life when I couldn’t find out who I was and what I needed. Today, I realized that negative energy brings negativity. Some used to complain about the fact that I was eating healthy every day, sometimes the same thing for a while, some even disrespect the fact that I don’t drink alcohol, but who cares? What matters is yourself. I used to hate this quote, but today it is the one I follow 100%: Me, Myself and I.
A.G.E. Fitness and fashion seem to be a good blend to address your interests. What new discoveries have you made in these fields since the last time we met? Have you found any other hobbies lately?
R.R. I have always been interested in Fashion. In LA, it is hard to really dress up daily as everybody walks around in their gym outfit with a smoothie on the right hand, so I will be honest with you I have only been wearing jeans and crop tops since I got here. I have been learning how to play tennis a lot these days, starting to learn skiing soon, and I’m sure I will find more hobbies later on.
A.G.E. I would also like to revisit a topic we discussed, which is confidence. Your message was incredibly on point and really inspiring. Do you still think confidence is the key to everything? Has your perception of it changed in any way?
R.R. As I was saying in one of your previous questions, “me, myself and I” is the key to confidence. When you are confident, you are focused 100% on what you believe in, and people see you differently. Plus, being confident is sexy. When I say that I mean someone that truly believes in something and doesn’t give a f* about what people think because they’re 100% sure about it. Not the person who pretends to be confident for their followers but has no idea what to do. In the end, confidence means a lot of work on yourself to identify who you are, what you want, and what you need to get there. You’re allowed to make mistakes; nobody is perfect, and mistakes bring you to success.
A.G.E. As mentioned, you’re coming back eight issues later to Yummy 8 with breathtaking photos by the incredibly talented Christian Oita. It’s undeniable you look like a god coming out of the water. How was it for you during this second experience shooting for Yummy? Do you have any fun anecdotes?
R.R. Thank you! I really love those pictures, and I have been a huge fan of Christian’s work for a while, so when he mentioned this shoot I was totally up for it and ready to make some magic together. Now, Christian was very professional, the best, and made me feel very comfortable, even though I was naked on a public beach. Let me put you in the setting: public beach, hotels on one side, the sea on the other, old people around walking their dogs, some tanning, running, and even some kids eating ice cream with their families. Then I, naked, posing with a photographer, both of us coming out of nowhere. How do you think people are reacting? Some watch, some take pictures; I even remember screaming at a woman in a hotel’s balcony to don’t record my ass, and she pretended she wasn’t, but we all know what Karen was doing. In the end, it was 7 amazing hours of shooting, and I am very glad nothing stopped us because the result was there. So in the end, when you purchase your next Yummy 8th Issue, please remember that I wasn’t shooting naked alone in a studio but in front of a lot of people on the beach during August 2023.
A.G.E. Was this your second full naked shoot, or after your first nude shoot with Yummy, did you venture into other nude shoots? How has Yummy changed your view of these types of shootings?
R.R. Yummy 4 was my very first full-naked shoot. I was in a period of my life where I was comfortable enough to remove my clothes completely in front of a photographer, and this shoot helped me to understand my body a little more (sort of). The result after a naked shoot is supposed to be artistic when you don’t want it to be pornographic, which sometimes may be hard to see a difference between both. But as I say, with the right photographer, you can make a difference. And as you can see, nothing is really similar between Yummy 4 and Yummy 8. I did some other shoots after that, mostly in New York, but I am trying to change the vibe of my portfolio these days and trying to get some clothes on, even though I believe naked shots are beautiful.
A.G.E. To add a bit of spice to the conversation, last time you mentioned seeing sexiness as an energy rather than a body type. Have you had the chance to explore new feelings and sensations that might indicate a shift in this perspective? Tell us more about what you consider sexy.
R.R. As I mentioned last time, being sexy doesn’t depend on the physique. Physique lasts for a few days, a few months, a few years, then what? The desire of someone needs to be fed often, and you can’t only be desired with your physique. Real sexiness isn’t what you think about someone or what someone’s trying to show you. Sexy is when you see the true nature of someone, getting attracted by small details, like the way you act when you’re shy, the way you laugh, the way you hesitate between two slices of pizza… It may seem crazy, but I am never attracted by the same thing. I know I like some general points like being confident, funny, and smart; these points turn me on a lot. But when it comes case by case, most people don’t have those points altogether, so you find other details that catch your eye.
A.G.E. In this latest story, we see you fully naked and dripping wet in a hotel room. Were you freshly out of the shower? Are you usually naked around the house and in hotels?
R.R. For this last photoshoot with Christian, we started shooting on the beach for a few hours, and the sun was hot, the water was fresh, and the sand all over my body was sticking, so when we got back to that room, I had to take a shower. As Christian and I share the same point of view, which believes in reality and pictures at the moment, I allowed Christian to take pictures while I was taking a shower after this very long day on the beach. And yes, I usually remove my clothes as soon as I reach the door. I usually don’t wear many clothes.
A.G.E. Speaking of hotels, what’s the most interesting and fun experience you’ve had in a hotel room?
R.R. I remember partying during Fashion Week two years ago in one of the biggest suites of Le Crillon in Paris. Of course, we were all dressed up, it wasn’t a Yummy shoot. Everyone was there, even Virgil Abloh was playing as a DJ, few models, a few designers, few artists, Katy Perry pushing the room service table out of the room was hilarious; I remember having a kiss from Orlando Bloom without knowing who he was before the next day. Paris during Fashion Week is my favourite moment. You go to dinner and end up at an afterparty, then someone proposes to a few people to join right after the party to get on his plane on the way to Cannes, and here I am, running to get a bag with a few clothes, and boom you are on a boat in Cannes a few hours later.
A.G.E. To conclude, in our first interview, you mentioned a couple of future goals you had, including developing your fitness coaching app, launching an underwear brand, focusing on your routines, meeting new people, and enjoying life to the fullest. Have you achieved any of those goals? What other plans do you have for the future?
R.R. Since our last conversation, I have launched my fitness app (@riccifitnessapp), which was more important than I thought. I was expecting a few people to join but nothing serious, and I actually was submerged by requests. So many that I had to get an assistant to help me manage each person. So far, so good, I have also been in touch with factories to work on a few samples for an underwear brand; everything was really pretty and comfortable. I just paused it as I moved to LA and had a lot of things to deal with but soon will be back working on it in the future. Right now, I just want to find my place in this new city, get the positive energy I need, and continue to grow to show you the best of myself.
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