Wish You Were Here: Maryna Marynchenko on Life in Cannes and the Allure of the French Riviera
By Riviera Ready Magazine
Maryna Marynchenko has built a life in Cannes shaped by fashion, travel, discipline and reinvention. The Ukrainian model and fashion designer has crossed countries, absorbed languages and worked in cities across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, eventually making her home on one of the most glamorous stretches of the French Riviera.
Yet what emerges most clearly from her story is not simply glamour. It is determination: the willingness to begin again, adapt to unfamiliar places and continue moving towards a life built on her own terms.
Born in Kyiv and educated in English and Spanish, Maryna says she was drawn from an early age to beauty, travel and the prospect of discovering the world beyond her immediate surroundings. The ambition was never merely to become a model. It was to create a life filled with independence, experience and style.
Maryna Marynchenko: From Kyiv to an International Modelling Career
Maryna Marynchenko began modelling in 2004 while still at university, encouraged by her mother. What followed was a genuinely international career that took her through different cities, cultures and creative worlds.
Her experience of modelling brought freedom, opportunity and encounters with fascinating people, but she does not romanticise every part of the industry. Moving repeatedly between countries can be exciting, but it also demands resilience. New surroundings bring new languages, social circles and expectations, while the temptations and pressures surrounding fashion can be considerable.
For Maryna, lasting success has depended on discipline, self-awareness and knowing where she wants to go next. Those qualities became increasingly important as her career carried her through Egypt, the United States, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, Switzerland and the Seychelles.
Each destination added something to her outlook, but one city affected her differently.
Maryna Marynchenko on Life in Cannes
Maryna first travelled to Cannes for a short work trip. She was immediately drawn to the city and, by 2016, had made it her home.
The appeal was not confined to the beaches or the celebrated Croisette. Cannes offered a complete way of life: the Mediterranean, palm trees, restaurants, nightlife, international events and easy access to Monaco, Italy, Switzerland and the Alps.
It is a city where high-profile occasions exist alongside ordinary Riviera pleasures. Film premieres and formal dinners may occupy the headlines, but daily life can mean an early swim, lunch overlooking the sea or a quiet walk through streets that feel very different once the festival crowds have departed.
For a closer look at the city during its most famous event, read our report on Cannes 2026: Films, Stars, Deals and Croisette Chaos while Hollywood at Cannes 2026 examines why the American studio presence felt noticeably quieter.
Maryna’s affection extends beyond Cannes itself. In the full interview, she shares favourite places across Monaco, Nice and Saint-Tropez, including stylish beach restaurants, elegant terraces, museums, markets and traditional Riviera institutions.
Her choices reflect something often missed in brief impressions of the Côte d’Azur. The French Riviera is highly photogenic, but it is also remarkably liveable once its rhythms, neighbourhoods and quieter corners become familiar.
Fitness, Discipline and a Life in Motion
Fashion is only one part of Maryna Marynchenko’s life. Sport has remained central to her physical strength, concentration and sense of wellbeing.
Swimming, fencing, basketball, Thai boxing, equestrian sport, gym training and yoga have all played a part in her routine. She has also completed a half marathon and is studying to become a yoga coach.
That range of interests reveals a character motivated by progress rather than routine for its own sake. Fitness is not presented as punishment or simply as a requirement of modelling. It is part of a broader philosophy built around movement, mental focus and continuing self-development.
For another Riviera Ready portrait exploring the relationship between modelling, physical discipline and confidence, read Carolin: Strength, Confidence and the Rise of Pole Fitness.
Ukraine, Resilience and Perspective
There is also a much more serious thread running through Maryna’s story.
When speaking about Ukraine, she reflects on the emotional weight of the war and the experience of returning to Kyiv during a period of bombardment and blackouts. She describes the difficulty of communicating that reality to people continuing their lives in places untouched by the same immediate danger.
It adds necessary gravity to what could otherwise be mistaken for a purely glossy portrait of Riviera life. Behind the fashion images, travel stories and Mediterranean scenery is someone whose perspective has been shaped by disruption, uncertainty and concern for her country.
That experience has not removed her appetite for creativity or progress. Instead, it has given greater meaning to the independence and resilience that have defined her international life.
Fashion and the Next Chapter
Maryna Marynchenko is now developing her own clothing brand, Martinoli, with a focus on evening, cocktail and summer dresses.
It feels like a natural continuation of a career spent around clothes, photographers, designers and different interpretations of femininity. Rather than only modelling other people’s creations, she is taking a more direct role in determining how the finished image should look.
The project brings together many of the strands already present in her life: international influence, Riviera style, independence and an instinct for reinvention.
Read the Full Interview
The complete feature appears in Riviera Ready Magazine – Issue 1, where Maryna shares more about her journey from Kyiv to Cannes, her favourite Riviera addresses, fitness philosophy and the experiences that have shaped her along the way.
Follow Maryna Marynchenko on Instagram.
Photo credits: Diana Shava and Sudmode.