We ask a cultural icon to answer a set of questions in the style of Victorian-era confession albums.
In the realm of style, there are those who follow trends and those who create their own gravitational pull. Tina Ocampo belongs firmly in the latter category. A former top model and co-founder of the Professional Models Association of the Philippines, she also transforms her innate elegance into entrepreneurial vision through various successful retail concepts, including CELESTINA, her luxury handbag brand that captures her distinctive aesthetic sensibility and commitment to craftsmanship. Her enduring impact reminds us that true style isn’t something you consume, but something you embody.
What is your idea of the good life?
Freedom to decide without the nagging guilt.
What is an overrated luxury?
A purchase based on hype and sold as an identity.
What is on your nightstand?
A carafe of water and a beautiful glass on a pretty silver tray.
What is a book everybody should read?
Judging by today’s world economic climate, it is important to read The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio.
What is your favorite film?
Chocolat.
What have you been listening to lately?
The coos and hungry cries of my firstborn granddaughter Emilia. It is music to my ears!
What is your current state of mind?
Inner war and outward peace.
What ritual brings you joy?
Rearranging a whole space and giving it life again.
What quality do you admire most in others?
The knack for selling anything without the BS.
What is your pet peeve?
Lame excuses because if you are to tell me lies, at least don’t make me think I am stupid.
What skill do you wish to learn?
Sculpting a bust in clay.
What historical figure would you like to have dinner with and where?
Nostradamus in a French bistro drinking red wine and giving me a glimpse of what the world will become with Trump, Putin, and Kim Jong Un in it.
What is your signature drink?
An oaky and peppery Burgundy.
What is your most prized possession?
Early letters from my children with messy, shaky handwritten “I LOVE YOU MOM.”
What is your most treasured memory?
My youth… when “what if” never crossed my mind.
What is your boldest decision?
Jumping out of the fence and realizing that sometimes the boldest love is the one you give back to your selfless self.
What is the most useless thought you have received?
Change is the only constant… It gets really tiring!
What is your greatest regret?
Nothing… to regret is to fail to learn from a mistake.
What keeps you grounded?
Dr. Joe Dispenza–he helps in rewiring the brain.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Not being part of a drama, just a spectator quietly munching on a pack of barbecue- flavored Potato Corner!
What trend should make a comeback?
The lost art of letter writing on elegant paper and sealed with coral wax!
What trend should stay in the past?
Stilettos… just because I can’t wear them anymore.
What is your motto?
Hmmmmm…
How do you want to be remembered?
A SPARK that didn’t end with me but lived on in others… elegantly passing a quiet inspiration.
What is next for you?
I will let you know after I speak to Nostradamus. Cheers!
This article was originally published in our June 2025 issue.
