L'Officiel · 2004
Nicky Hilton
Translated from the French. Original: L'Officiel, August 1, 2004 · French version
August 2004
Killer eyes, an unshakeable personality: Nicky, the little sister of the Hilton clan, arrives in her turn. Fashion designer, model, TV presenter: the public welcomes her with open arms and the media adopt her. Meeting with the new American starlet in a tiny room of the Maritime Hotel in New York, between make-up and filming for TF1’s show Sagas.
Nicky Hilton, youth, glory and beauty
By David Benaym
Photo Roger Moenks/Laurent Alfieri
After Paris, Nicky. The younger of the Hilton sisters seems determined to make the flashbulbs pop in her turn. At almost 20, Nicky, who went brunette to better mark her difference, cannot boast of having made the cover of celebrity magazines. She did not let her love life leak onto the Internet, nor did she take part in “The Simple Life”, the reality show co-hosted by the controversial Paris Hilton, whose title sounds like a provocation to anyone who knows the life of the Hilton sisters. Nicky’s Sagas* is, in fact, delighting TF1 all summer long as part of its show devoted to celebrities.
The brunette and the blonde, two strong characters. Nicky is simpler, more genuine. A little girl from Los Angeles, she grew up in the greatest hotels in the world, meeting actors, models and television stars from a very young age. At barely 14, while studying in New York, she became the mascot of the local media. Already, Nicky was charming the lenses the better to control them. For the pretty icon hides a strong personality. Determined, a touch casual but persevering, she shows an impressive maturity for an heiress for whom everything goes right.
A fashion designer for two and a half years, this doll is not made of wax. The sun makes her more beautiful, more sparkling. She does not melt. A Barbie for some, she describes herself as free of any pressure. The family heritage opens doors for her; she pushes them, breaks them down, the better to enjoy this life she intends to bite into. Her packed schedule nonetheless gives the illusion of dealing with a star. A professional, Miss Hilton becomes Nicky in front of the camera. More accessible, more in her element when she is being photographed than in an interview.
Because this charmer prefers asking questions to answering them. As on the red carpet of the Golden Globes ceremony, where she worked for the entertainment channel E! last winter. Very much at ease in front of the camera, she pestered celebrities about their style. “Fashion is all she’s passionate about,” says Brian Long, a long-time friend who handles Nicky’s publicity through his agency
Apropo in New York. After five trips with her to Japan, he is still impressed by his protégée’s popularity. “Her popularity in Asia is three times greater than in the United States, she causes riots every time she visits.” His eyes sparkle when he talks about the Hilton duo, like little sisters who must not be hurt. “The danger was such that in some places we had to have shopping centres closed so they could walk around Tokyo,” he adds. “It gives you chills, a bit as if I were travelling with the Beatles or Madonna.”
Nicky plays it modest, preferring to talk about her line of bags and her creativity. She denies borrowing her ideas from other designers, but admits being inspired by certain timeless classics. “Let’s say I make fashion and trends a little younger.” The line of bags she has been designing for two years with her sister for the brand Samantha Thavasa
establishes their fame. Still “daughter of”… Nicky Hilton does not try, as celebrity children often do, to put forward only her first name and deny her heritage. “I’m not interested in the world of hotels and real estate, but one day, who knows, maybe I’ll set up a new concept store to my taste.”
For now, she prefers the worlds of show business and fashion. She plans to launch her own show in which she would dissect trends in New York, Paris or London. On the fashion side, she is launching a special line of bags with Hello Kitty this autumn. The target is definitely very young, but these products are aimed at the global market. The Hilton franchise is on its way to conquering new markets, and Nicky, a modest philosopher, is going her own way. In the full bloom of youth, in all her beauty, on the road to glory.
*Sagas: TF1, every Wednesday in summer at 8:50 pm
Three questions for Nicky Hilton
L’Officiel - How do you manage to cope with both media and family pressure with this career opening up before you?
Nicky Hilton: The gossip press doesn’t get to me. I can go out with a boy without worrying about what will come of it. The pressure is likely to be more on his shoulders than on mine. As for my family, I am free to do as I please. The people around me encourage me in everything I do. I chose my own path, and that’s what I love.
L’Officiel: Do you already use your fame to benefit charities?
Nicky Hilton: I work a lot to fight breast cancer and on other charities for children. I sometimes lend my name to events, I give money, or I sponsor evenings.
L’Officiel: You seem to already have everything you want; what would your ultimate dream be?
Nicky Hilton -
I would looooove to own a concept store that opens its doors to young designers, with an incredible restaurant right in the middle. But I’m very young and the future seems so far away…