A 24-year-old security guard has landed a professional modeling contract after a viral video of him working London Fashion Week drew nearly a million views.
Soufian Boucetta, who was stationed at the Simone Rocha show last month, says the attention caught him completely off guard despite a lifetime of strangers telling him he belonged in front of a camera. The Camberwell resident had spent his shift focused on the job and barely noticed the lingering glances until he got home and checked his phone.
“I was standing there doing my job and a few people were looking at me, but I am used to this,” he said. “I know that is going to happen, but I was just focused on my work.”
The clip that changed his trajectory showed him posted by the door with a caption that racked up over 900,000 views: “Sorry Simone Rocha, the collection was amazing, but the security guy had the girls and the gays staring!” Soufian finished his shift unaware, showered, and only then discovered the explosion online.
“I didn’t know they were going to post me on Instagram,” he added. “I finished my shift like nothing happened and came home to have a shower. I went online, and I saw so many people posting me and the video, and I was shocked. After that video, it was crazy. There were a lot of supportive people.”
The DMs poured in from agencies across Milan, Paris, and the United States, but Soufian chose to stay local and signed with PRM agency London. The boutique agency, established among the city’s prominent independent firms, also represents models including Agel Akol, Yilan Hua and Athiec Geng.
Born in Spain, Soufian relocated to the UK four years ago and started in construction before transitioning to private security. His client list already included Rihanna, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Statham, and Aaron Pierre. Through it all, he had consistently deflected the modeling suggestions that followed him through grocery stores and train stations.
“I was always told that I had a good face, I was tall, and I was thin,” he recalled. “In one day I would have 15 people come tell me that I am handsome and I have to be a model.”
Now he has begun practicing his catwalk and completed several photo sessions. His family, he says, is still processing the sudden pivot.
“My life is very different. I am starting to really like modelling,” Soufian shared. “Whatever comes is going to be good for me. My family are surprised. My parents and friends are excited to see me going forward. I am exploring a new world and showing them how I model.”
He is continuing security work for the time being but envisions modeling becoming his full-time career. The height that made him a supermarket spectacle—shared by his entire family—now serves a professional purpose.
“My whole family are tall,” he noted. “Every time I go to the supermarket or to get the train, people say how tall I am. I am used to it now; it is normal.”
“I love my job and I love what I do,” Soufian continued. “It is a new world and a new start in modelling. I am excited to meet people.”