BIOGRAPHY:

Valeria Mazza was born on February 17th, 1972, in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. Her father, Raul and mother Monica had a close friend that helped Valeria get her first job as a model, in an amateur fashion show. At the age of 14, helping out this family friend led to several more modeling jobs.

Although Valeria was still in school, she managed to launch her career as well as graduate from high school. She studied therapy for the disabled, and loves working with people. Valeria has a natural yearning to help those less fortunate, and did everything she could in her spare time to help others.

However, Valeria made a bold career move and moved to New York in order to further her modeling career. Since the move, she has landed countless jobs doing runways, magazine covers and advertisements. She still was able to continue giving back to those in need. She uses her newfound fame to good use working with the Special Olympics.

Her first advertising campaign was for the Caro Cuore, Ragazza line in 1992. She appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan in September of 1992, her first magazine cover. Her work for Guess? in 1995 was her first international advertising campaign. She was photographed in Hawaii by Dewey Nicks, in which she appears with model Ingrid Seynhaeve. Valeria's next campaign is set in typical Los Angeles style: laid-back and elegant. She appears hanging out with fellow models Alex Lundqvist and Laetitia Casta, AskMen.com's Most Beautiful Woman of the Year.

The 5'10", blue-eyed blonde knew she made it in the big leagues when she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue with Tyra Banks in 1996. Her hair was so blonde it became her trademark. When she dyed her dark hair before several shows, she claims, "no one recognized me". Valeria says she lost forty per cent of her fans, who just didn't recognize her.

"When you are blonde, even if they don't know who you are, they look!" She considers hair dye a drug, saying that once you start, "you put more and more and more." She had been seeing her current boyfriend, Buenos Aires businessman Alejandro Gravier, for quite some time before they finally tied the knot in July 1998. She has also has a son. She says he prefers blondes, and although she likes her hair dark, she knows she get more attention as a blonde.

Some of her other work includes Gianni Versace in Milan, Italy, in 1992. She presented the San Remo's Festival, and the parade in Piazza Espagna. (Both in Italy, 1996) She presented the MTV fashion program, and as well as their Latin program, House of Style.

She appeared in a European hosiery commercial with Antonio Banderas and can be seen in Pepsi's Generation Next spots. She has appeared on the cover of US Glamour, US and French Cosmopolitan, Elle Argentina, as well as many other Latin American publications.

She has graced runways in Paris, Milan and New York. Living between Paris and New York, Valeria tries to see her family and friends back in Argentina as often as her busy schedule allows. No matter how busy she gets, though, she always has time for her Gameboy, her favorite pastime. Although she finds it addictive and hard to put down once she starts playing, she uses it to pastime on planes.

While she loves her New York apartment, she acknowledges it is not a home. "When I'm not in Argentina, I always want to be. I miss everything about it -- my people, my home, my food." A model that misses food?! We have to love that! For now, Valeria wants to continue modeling, but dreams of raising a large family some day.