Hunziker was born in Sorengo (Lugano), in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Her mother Ineke is Dutch; her father Rudolf, who died of a heart attack in the fall of 2001, was a German-speaking Swiss national. He was a painter, but worked as a hotel manager. In 1983, the family moved to Ostermundigen, a suburb of Bern in the German speaking part of Switzerland. In Ostermundigen Hunziker attended elementary school. After moving to Milan with her mother, she decided to become a fashion model and was hired by Riccardo Gay, a renowned agent. Although considered to be both too heavy and short, at 17 she posed for well-known labels such as Armani, Rocco Barocco, La Perla, Colmar, Fuerte Ventura, Lovable and Swish.
