TATIANA OKONKWO

About

Tatiana is a creator, inventor and entrepreneur across diverse platforms and places – modeling, cuisine, beauty and fashion design. She has a passion and curiosity for the global trends shaping the countries she has lived in.

She began her career in modeling in her native Nigeria, where she worked alongside emerging designers and became part of a growing wave of African talent influencing fashion, art, and visual storytelling.

Her move to Dubai in 2020 marked the next phase of her creative growth, leading to the launch of her own design boutique centered on modern interpretations of traditional West African fabrics and natural health and beauty products. During this time, she continued to model her own work, creatively exploring the intersection of fashion and design, cuisine and culture, beauty and wellness.

Now based in Florida, Tatiana is bringing that same creative vision to a broader stage, expanding into new opportunities across modeling, cuisine and fashion design. Tati embodies a spirit and worldview that unites cultures and communities, and blends style and substance.

Meet Tatiana

Tatiana Okonkwo is a model, designer, and entrepreneur with a background shaped by creativity, culture, and international experience. She began her modeling career in Nigeria, where she worked alongside emerging designers and became part of a growing wave of African talent influencing fashion, art, and visual storytelling.

Her move to Dubai in 2020 marked the next phase of her creative growth, leading to the launch of her own design boutique centered on modern interpretations of traditional West African fabrics, alongside natural health and beauty products. During this time, she continued to model her own work, further strengthening her presence at the intersection of fashion, identity, and entrepreneurship.

Now based in Florida, Tatiana is bringing that same creative vision to a broader stage, expanding into new opportunities across modeling, commercial projects, fashion campaigns, and brand partnerships. She represents versatility, presence, and a story that connects style with substance.

Cuisine

Tati learned to cook from her mother in her hometown in Nigeria’s Delta States. As a young girl she would wake up early and help her mother to pound yams or cassava that is served with spicy and aromatic stews like egusi, or okra stew to sell in the local market.

Tati followed in her mother’s footsteps when she opened her own “Tati’s Kitchen,” a favorite online and home pop-up café in Abuja. She later took her show on the road to Dubai, where she learned to meld the subtle spices of Arabic and Indian food into her own, creating a fusion of flavors always made with fresh and organic ingredients.

Now based in Florida, Tati is bringing her passion, talent and flare for innovative food and fashion to the people of St Pete. She is relaunching “Tati’s Kitchen” 3.0, from her home pop-up in Roser Park, selling variations on traditional Nigerian and West African dishes, with a global and local twist. Come on over on every weekend (except holidays) to meet and eat!

Design

Tati grew up surrounded by the colorful wax-relief fabrics of West Africa. The colors and patterns influenced her own eclectic design esthetic when she opened her first shop in Dubai. She featured not only traditional “ankara” fabrics, but clothing designs with modern looks mixed with highlights of brilliant African color.

At “Tati’s Beauty”, Tati also experimented with her own line of jewelry, and beauty products made from home-made organic ingredients. Tati tapped her own modeling experience to model her own line of clothes and fashion accessories.

Ever the entrepreneur, after Covid forced her to close her shop in Dubai, Tati switched to an online and pop-up platform to continue innovating in the spaces of natural health and beauty, cuisine and fashion. She plans to restart her pop-up shop in her new home in St Pete and bring her passion for design to friends and neighbors across the City.