Tina Leung (stylist)

In 2005, Leung moved back to Hong Kong after being offered a job at what would later become Prestige magazine.^[10][12][5] She had been introduced to publisher and creative director Gordon Lam by her hairstylist when she went to the salon for a haircut.^[12] At Prestige, she covered the fashion and accessories markets, and interviewed industry figures including a watchmaker at Hermès and model Kendal Jenner.^[7]

While living in Hong Kong, Leung styled for major publications in the region including Tatler, Ming Pao, and South China Morning Post, as well as Prestige.^[10][13] She did styling at runway shows and worked with celebrity clients Yunjin Kim, Karen Mok, and James Ferragamo.^[10] Her collaborations in Hong Kong included brands Valentino, Loewe, and Georg Jensen.^[10]

In 2010, Leung launched her blog, Tina Loves.^[7] Initially intended as personal blog for friends and family, the site gained a following over time.^[7] In 2012, she received her first invitation to Paris Fashion Week from Dior.^[6][7] She subsequently became a fashion week regular in Milan, London, Paris, and New York, and published snaps chronicling her outfits and experiences.^[7][10] She then became an Instagram influencer; by 2023, she had over half a million followers.^[6][14]

For a period, Leung split her time between Hong Kong and New York, eventually moving to New York City in 2017.^[12][15] In New York, she established a friendship with designer Laura Kim, co-creative director at Oscar de la Renta.^[16]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Leung and Kim, designers Phillip Lim and Prabal Gurung, and socialite Ezra J. William, established the House of Slay, a collective combating racial discrimination against Asian Pacific Americans.^[6] In November 2021, they released the House of Slay, a digital comic featuring each of the five "Slaysians" as a superhero with superpowers.^[17] Leung's character in the series is telekinetic.^[17]

In November 2022, Leung dressed as her superhero alter ego when the House of Slay members accepted the Positive Social Influence Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.^[18] For the awards, she wore a metallic gold dress with a high hemline, decorated with a winding snake; her hair was aqua blue and styled like Cindy Crawford.^[18]

In 2023, Leung appeared on Netflix as one of the main cast members of Bling Empire: New York.^[19] According to Cosmopolitan, viewers generally regarded Leung as the "best and sweetest person on the show".^[20] Tatler Asia suggested that it was her authenticity and relatability that made her popular among Bling Empire fans, as she shared vulnerable moments from insomnia to heartbreak when she arrived late to the Chanel haute couture fashion show during Paris Fashion Week.^[6] On the series, she discusses the "lonely and tiring" side of working as a self-made fashion influencer,^[21] and opens up about past relationships and why she cherishes her current friendships.^[6]

• Tina Leung on Instagram