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.
A career in fashion had always lingered in the back of my mind. I was really into magazines. I remember running to Fleet Arcade as often as I could to stock up on fashion magazines like Flaunt – I even asked to intern there when I was in Los Angeles – Surface, The Face, Another Magazine and iD.
I always went straight to the back of the magazine to look at the fashion editorials. I loved the idea of styling so from then on I spent every spare moment trying to intern at different places working for different stylists and/or magazines.
I even did a course at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and worked with numerous photographers to build my own portfolio.
Hong Kong calling
I was in Hong Kong for summer vacation and getting a haircut when the stylist introduced me to his friend, (publisher and creative director) Gordon Lam. I showed him my portfolio on the spot and we arranged to meet again.
At our next meeting he offered me a job at what would later become Prestige magazine. It all happened so fast and I had no intention of staying in Hong Kong – in fact I still had dirty dishes sitting in my kitchen sink in New York – but it was too good an opportunity to turn down.
Learning the ropes
Working for a magazine in Hong Kong as opposed to the US meant that I learned so much. Looking back, I also realise that I was a little spoiled and naive. I hadn’t really had a proper job before, and here I was socialising with editor-in-chiefs who had been in the industry for 20-plus years.
I was thrown in the deep end and had to learn how to swim fast. I love the fact that everyone (in Hong Kong) has this can-do attitude and is super hard working. They are not afraid to do multiple jobs at one time, and this really inspired me.
While Hong Kong gave me the opportunity to grow in so many aspects, I eventually got restless.
I love to move around and travel, and New York ended up calling to me once again. It was always on the cards to move to New York after university but other things happened.
My gut really has been leading me my whole life, so I decided to take the plunge.
Empire state of mind
At the beginning I lived between Hong Kong and New York, because anyone who knows me well will also know that I have FOMO (fear of missing out). It was scary, as I had a lot of stability in Hong Kong, but I have to say New York has fulfilled me in different ways.
One thing I can say is that I am very grateful to have a life that is also my job
It’s interesting because many of these issues were not on my radar in Hong Kong, but moving to the US has made me so much more aware and empowered. I have never gone to as many protests as I have living here!
Fashion favourites
It’s so hard to pick my favourite fashion moment or designer. Valentino is a very special brand and I love anything by Glenn Martens.
He made being weird, or different, cool and relevant. It almost felt like everyone was cheering each other on at all of his shows. It made us feel like anything was possible.
Back to TV (and reality)
It’s funny that I gave up on acting, only to star in a reality television show 20 years later. Back in January 2021, a producer from Bling Empire reached out about potentially taking part in the show.
People who know me well will tell you that I can be quite shy so I was a bit overwhelmed initially, especially because the show involved so much talking. All my castmates are such big characters on their own so sometimes I would just sit back and let them talk.
Everyone has their own arch and mine included working on myself, which meant hypnotherapy, matchmaking and psychic sessions. There’s a scene when I am at the therapist’s office crying while wearing a beautiful purple Valentino suit. I was more worried about ruining the outfit than crying on TV!
On influencing
I have worn so many hats – from editor and stylist to influencer and whatever else people are labelling me these days.
I don’t like to be classified as an influencer as I am not really like those top girls with millions of followers. They enjoy creating content so much, and churn it out so fast and in such high quality. I personally don’t always enjoy doing that, I find it a job being photographed.
Charlize Theron’s worn one of her bikinis: fashion designer’s Hong Kong rise
I really wish I could do more styling, but people keep hiring me to wear or promote their clothes instead. It’s funny because I want to be in the background but the universe keeps steering and pushing me into the light.
My heroes in the industry were always stylists that worked behind the scenes like Alex White. Today people are obsessed with TikTokkers, which is totally different to my generation. Some people love the limelight, but it’s not for me.
Onto 2023
One thing I can say is that I am very grateful to have a life that is also my job. I love the fact that I don’t have to do one thing, and that I can do everything I want.
We invited an incredible group of women including activists Amanda Ngyuen and Noor Tagouri to contribute poems and essays around themes of Head, Heart and Hand. It was such a meaningful and life-changing experience.
On the practical side, I want to get my driving licence again – I feel stuck not being able to drive. I’ve signed up for a happiness course from Harvard online that I need to finish. My ultimate dream, though, is to one day have my own shoe line and champagne line.
