Model and actress Tina Kunakey on hoarded cards, Alan Watts, and why true style begins where clothes end…
Cameras adore her, designers court her, and front rows are lovelier – and livelier – for
her presence. Born in Biarritz of Tongolese and Sicilian decdent, and now one of France’s most compelling faces, 29-year-old Tina has built a career on instinct: knowing precisely who she is. “Style is really about personality and presence more than clothing itself,” she told Bazaar.“As Carla Sozzani once said, ‘It’s much, much deeper than clothes,’ and I agree with that.” Her aesthetic feels honed, not borrowed or contrived; it’s easy, intuitive, entirely on her own terms – much how she lives her life.
That clarity of knowing who she is, she tells us, is the point. Behind the editorials and the Fashion Week whirl is a woman who stepped into the spotlight as a teen model, and has learned to prize a long dinner over a loud one, a good book over a grand entrance, and an afternoon of sandcastles with her seven-year-old daughter Amazonie over almost anything else. She is, by her own admission, simpler and more private than her image – linked to the glamorous world of brands like Prada, Loewe, Valentino and Jacquemus – suggests, and happiest at home.
It is this rare marriage of polish and peace that makes her the perfect cover star; quick, funny, disarmingly honest, and ready to push creative boundaries – along with being astonishingly beautiful. They prove what Carla Sozzani once observed: that style runs far deeper than clothes. With Tina, it feels instinctive.
Three things you’d never part with?
My heart, my intuition, and my inner peace [laughs].
What do you collect?
Hotel room keys. I have several binders full of them, almost like when we were kids collecting Pokémon cards. I keep a key card from pretty much every hotel I’ve stayed at; they’re like little memories of where I’ve been.
Your guilty pleasure that you don’t feel guilty about?
Doing absolutely nothing…
Whose style would you steal?
No one’s. I’ve always loved finding my own style and wearing things in my own way.
What is worth the splurge?
Travel and experiences with my loved ones.
What do most people get wrong about you?
Probably that what they see of me through my work is who I am all the time. I’m actually much more simple than people might imagine, quite private, and happiest when I’m home.
What’s a gift that you give to someone you love?
I give gifts all the time. I never really wait for an occasion if I see something that makes me think of someone, I’ll get it. And I love buying flowers, for no reason at all.
Style rule you break?
I don’t really care about being overdressed or underdressed. I just want to feel comfortable and like myself in whatever I’m wearing.
Most overused word in fashion?
During Fashion Week? “I’m tired” and “I’m late.” Usually both at the same time.
What inspired you recently?
I’ve been reading Alan Watts lately. His way of looking at life really helps and inspire me.
Dream dinner guests – dead or alive?
My family and my friends. Honestly, that’s still my dream table. The people I love, good food, and a very long dinner.
Biggest perk of the job?
My team. I feel the luckiest getting to work, travel, create and experience so many things with people I genuinely love being around and share the same values with.
Is it more important to be liked or respected?
I think to be truly loved is also to be respected. I don’t really separate the two.
What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty. Being able to tell each other the truth, even when it’s not necessarily what you want to hear.
Favourite way to waste an afternoon?
Tanning and building sandcastles with Amazonie on the beach.
Best thing about getting older?
Learning, understanding yourself better, and hopefully becoming a little wiser every year.
What have you changed your mind about?
Thinking that changing my mind was a bad thing.
What is one thing you always make time for?
My daughter. No matter how busy life gets, time with her will always be the most important, precious and always my favourite.
Lead Image Credit: Love Unlimited Necklace in Yellow Gold; Right hand: Baignoire Watch in Yellow Gold with Diamonds; Left hand: Love Unlimited Bracelet in White Gold with Diamonds; Love Unlimited Bracelet in Pink Gold with Diamonds, POA, all Cartier Top, Dhs8,235; Trousers, POA, both Balmain
Photography: Xavi Gordo at Uno Artists. Styling: Kim Payne. Model: Tina Kunakey at Next Models Paris. Acting Editor In Chief: Natasha Faruque. Fashion & Market Editor: Charlotte Marsh-Williams. Creative Direction: Marne Schwartz & Dane Stojanovic. Make-Up: Andrea Severino Sailis at Blend Management. Hair: Jean-Luc Amarin. Nail Artist: Nafissa Djabi at B Agency. Executive Producer: Steff Hawker. Producer: Sofia Potapova. Casting Director: Elodie Yelmani at Vedettes Model Management. Photographer’s Assistant: Eric Navarro at Uno Artists. Digital Technician: Marina Reyes at Uno Artists. Styling Assistants: Barnabé White & Louis-gui Pradere. Set Design: Jasmine Christie
From the Harper’s Bazaar Arabia October 2026 issue