Valentina Paloma Pinault, the 17‑year‑old daughter of actress Salma Hayek and Kering chairman and CEO François‑Henri Pinault, attended the Kering Foundation’s Fourth Annual Caring for Women Dinner in New York City, where she was photographed alongside supermodel Linda Evangelista and other guests.
The event, held at The Pool on Sept. 11, drew a mix of fashion and entertainment figures, including Lauren Sánchez and Kirsten Dunst. Photographs from the dinner show Valentina in attendance with family connections that bridge Hollywood and the luxury fashion world.
Valentina is the only child of Hayek and Pinault, who married in 2009. Her father runs Kering, the French luxury group whose brands have included Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga. Pinault has three other children from previous relationships: François and Mathilde, with his first wife Dorothée Lepère, and Augustin, whom he shares with Evangelista.
Hayek has publicly celebrated her daughter’s milestones. In September she posted a tribute marking Valentina’s 17th birthday that included childhood photographs and videos, writing that she was already experiencing “separation anxiety” as her daughter grew older and calling her a source of joy and inspiration. In a 2023 interview with Vogue Mexico, Valentina said she wanted to work in film, telling the magazine she would like to be an actress and a director, and that experience in front of the camera could inform work behind it.
Valentina has accompanied Hayek to high‑profile events in recent years, including red carpets and magazine features. The mother and daughter appeared together in a 2022 Vogue Mexico shoot, and Hayek has often brought Valentina to premieres and award‑season gatherings.
Hayek has built a long career in film, earning critical recognition and commercial success. François‑Henri Pinault’s business role has placed the family prominently within both the fashion industry and lists of personal wealth. The couple appeared on The Sunday Times Rich List for 2024 with a combined net worth reported at about $7.7 billion, down from roughly $10.1 billion the previous year, which resulted in a drop in their ranking on that list.
Pinault has been a public figure in fashion for years; he became Kering’s chairman and chief executive officer in 2005. His previous relationships have connected him to notable figures in modeling and entertainment, and his children are part of a blended family that spans those industries.
Hayek has also shared personal anecdotes in recent interviews, including a harrowing account of an emergency landing in Mexico she experienced while flying with longtime friend Penélope Cruz. Hayek described the incident in a Vogue Arabia interview, saying she reached for Cruz’s hands and reassured her as crew members donned oxygen masks and moved in the cabin.
Valentina’s public appearances and interviews suggest an interest in following some of her mother’s professional footsteps while also engaging with the fashion world through family ties. Her attendance at the Kering Foundation dinner highlights the ongoing overlap of philanthropy, fashion and film in the family’s public life.