Profile | Bling Empire: New York’s Tina Leung on being in love with Gucci since high school, her career as fashion editor, influencer and stylist, and the Big Apple’s pull
- As a teenager in Hong Kong, Leung devoured US and UK fashion magazines, and soon found herself an editor of one. Eventually she was drawn to New York
- There she has her fashion family and is something of an influencer. Now a Netflix reality-TV star, she dreams of having her own shoe line and champagne line
I was born in Hong Kong, moved to California when I was two years old and came back when I was 11. I went to Chinese International School (CIS) but my sisters went to Hong Kong International School.
I remember being so jealous of them because they were able to have McDonald’s for lunch at school. McDonald’s is still my weakness!
As a teenager I was never really fashionable – I just wore basics like Giordano T-shirts. In fact, my go-to T-shirt was from an American mass fashion chain called Wet Seal and it had this cartoon guy on the front wearing scuba wear.
From Hollywood to haute couture
Initially I wanted to pursue a career in performing arts and studied at Bates College (in the United States), then Bristol University (in Britain). That all changed during a trip to visit my boyfriend at the time. I was on the plane and had the sudden – and scary – realisation that I would have to kiss strangers if I became an actor. From then on, acting was totally out of the picture.
