Barbara Palvin on the Art of Gifting and How She’s Keeping Time

T Australia spoke with the model and Longines ambassador during her whirlwind trip to Australia.

Article by Victoria Pearson

Barbara Palvin Longines boutique launch"I feel like our creative ideas are the same and we are all aiming for the same thing.” Photograph courtesy of Longines.

Barbara Palvin is good at birthdays. Anniversaries and holidays too: the 31-year-old Hungarian model and actress considers herself to be one of the great gift givers. “That is my talent,” she says. “Throughout the year, I make notes – I have notes for everyone. There’s a “Christmas Gifting Ideas” [note], and I have all my friends’ names written down and my husband.”

Palvin’s go-to? “I always aim to give an experience that we can all do together. I feel like that’s more memorable. But if my husband wants a whiskey holder that looks like it’s from “Lord of the Rings”, then that’s what he gets.”

Attention to detail comes naturally to Palvin. Which makes her connection to the luxury Swiss watchmaker Longines (Palvin is a brand ambassador) an obvious one – both appreciate a restrained, timeless take on elegance. “It all started with an event in New York actually, where we met with Bernardo and the team and we just immediately clicked,” she says of her relationship with the brand. “We talked about our experiences, and our values just all aligned, and we were like, ‘Okay, we need to work together’. I feel like our creative ideas are the same and we are all aiming for the same thing.”

During a whirlwind trip to Australia to celebrate the opening of Longines’ new Sydney boutique boutique, Palvin spoke with T Australia about her approach to personal style, her 2023 wedding and her beauty must-haves.

Barbara Palvin Longines boutique launch 4
Photograph courtesy of Longines.
Barbara Palvin Longines timepieces
Longines timepieces inside the newly opened Sydney boutique. Photograph courtesy of Longines.

You’re only in Australia for a very short amount of time – what were you most looking forward to on this trip?

I actually arrived the day earlier because it was my birthday, and I wanted to do a little sight seeing. I was able to go to Bondi Beach, and go to Icebergs and have a lunch there. I saw the Opera House and [Sydney Harbour] Bridge. But I was really looking forward to seeing the [Longines] store actually – it looks amazing. 

What are your long-haul travel essentials?

My passport for sure. Then I always bring a book. I bring my iPad so I can watch movies, and I have my stuffed animal with me, so it feels like home. It looks like my dog too.

Barbara Palvin Longines boutique launch 2
Barbara Palvin signs her name in the new Longines Sydney boutique during a recent trip to Australia. Photograph courtesy of Longines.

How would you describe your personal style?

My style has been a work in progress and honestly, I always struggled to find my own style until I met [the stylist] Marc Eram. We worked together all the time, and he really brought the best version out of me because I do love to dress more, like, chic, but comfortable – like the Longines Conquest watch basically. It’s a little sportier, but it brings that elegance. I love an oversized blazer. I love some knee-high boots. I love elegant little black dress. I would say she elegant and comfortable are the key words.

What are your essential beauty products?

I have 10 lip balms in my purse. I don’t have a favourite, but I’m addicted to lip balms. Then I’ve been using this polyvitamin serum from iS clinical. It’s just to boost my skin in the morning, and then I use the La Roche Posay moisturiser for my skin. And that’s it. I keep it very simple, and I always curl my lashes.

Photograph courtesy of Longines.
Barbara Palvin Longines Boutique interior
Interior details at the new Longines Sydney Boutique. Photograph courtesy of Longines.

Congratulations on your wedding. What drew you to your Vivienne Westwood gown for this special day, and how did you approach crafting your overall bridal look?

I wanted to go for something timeless and elegant, and that’s just I think what my dress was –  but also making it a little ‘90s inspired with the diamond choker from Tiffany & Co. I think that’s what brought it all together. But then I also had my second look – for the first dance and the dinner – a Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini dress, which was more fun with a little bow in the back, shorter and swirling. I again went for comfort.

What other designers are you loving at the moment, or do you find particularly inspiring?

I do love Miu Miu a lot lately, and Balenciaga and I really do love Christopher Esber – I love to wear his pieces.