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HEIRESS AND ENTREPRENEUR NICKY HILTON — HERE WEARING THE NEW CLASH DE CARTIER COLLECTION — ON HAVING IT ALL, FROM HER ADMIRABLE WORK ETHIC TO HER SOPHISTICATED STYLE.
BY LAURA SCHREFFLER PHOTOGRAPHY CODY RASMUSSEN STYLING MARISSA PELLY HAIR VALERIE VANESSA MAKEUP JACQUELINE ADEVAI SHOT ON LOCATION IN N.Y.C.
Many wanderers traveling through Rome make it their mission to visit the Trevi Fountain. After all, legend says that those who toss in one coin with their right hand, over their left shoulder, will return to the Eternal City; if they toss in two, they’ll return and fall in love. Three is the dream: Ciao di nuovo, Roma! — love and marriage. And why not? Let’s be real: it’s hard not to throw euros at hope.
When Nicky Rothschild, née Hilton, found herself in Italy’s capital last summer during her first big trip of the pandemic, she had not heard of said folklore. She and her mom, Kathy, were simply grateful that they had the city — fountain, Spanish Steps and all — to themselves. But then, Hilton has no need for such superstitions. In fact, it was in this very city a decade ago that she met her husband, financier James Rothschild of the European banking dynasty (at F1 heiress Petra Ecclestone’s wedding, no less), whom she married four years later in what can only be described as a royal wedding at the Orangery at Kensington Palace Gardens in London. No luck or coins necessary, thank you very much.
From her love story alone, it would seem like the 38-year-old socialite, model, fashion designer and heiress has a charmed life. And there’s no denying it, she absolutely does. A loving husband, two beautiful children — Lily Grace Victoria, 5, and Theodora “Teddy” Marilyn, 3 — exquisite beauty and taste for days, and a gorgeous NoHo penthouse (which provided the perfect glamorous backdrop for Hilton to sift through new baubles from the Clash de Cartier collection during our shoot the week prior).
“I think my parents instilled a great work ethic in me and my siblings. They let it be known very early on that you were going to get to work, and you were going to make a name for yourself. And we did,” she declares over Zoom in early September, just a day after Ida tore its way through her home of New York City (completely bypassing her actual Manhattan home. See? Charmed).
Her first job was glamorous in theory, but in execution — well, not so much. At the tender age of 13 (her parents were not messing around), she interned at Hamptons magazine, taking the trash out, filling coffee orders, dropping off magazines at advertisers. Everyone has to start somewhere, and for Hilton, this was an excellent way of getting her feet wet and learning to work hard for her money (though she wasn’t getting paid). “So many of the kids we grew up with do not have that work ethic, and I think when everything is handed to someone, it can be really harmful. It’s so important to learn the value of earning a dollar and feeling that accomplishment as a result,” she says.
Starting off early was beneficial in every way. By the time she was 17, she and her siblings — Paris, 40; Barron, 31; and Conrad, 27 — were traveling the world, and able to do so of their own volition. “I’ve been working for what feels like forever,” she notes, “and “I’m very, very happy that my parents pushed us.”
If you’re wondering whether she’ll enforce the same work ethic with her own kids, the answer is an unequivocal yes. “I think having young children do summer jobs gives them a sense of responsibility, a place to go [so they aren’t getting in trouble or being idle]. My kids will definitely be getting summer jobs; maybe something easy to start, like the ice cream shop in town.”
Starting young certainly worked out to her benefit. Hilton (who actually does go by Rothschild, despite her equally famous last name) was just 21 when she launched her first clothing line, which then segued into a line of handbags for Japanese company Samantha Thavasa. In 2005, she flipped to a front-of-house role, becoming the face of Australian lingerie brand Antz Pantz. By 2007 she was back behind the scenes, designing the more luxurious fashion line Nicholai. In 2010, she introduced a line of jewelry, which was followed by a 10-piece collection with eLuxe in 2014, a capsule collection of handbags with Linea Pelle in 2015 and, in 2017, a collaboration with Tolani for Mommy and Me (which was so successful she reprised the relationship the following year). Her first footwear collection, in partnership with French Sole, launched in 2019. A second, 100 percent sustainable collection for the brand is her most recent project. The leather flats are totally on brand for Hilton, who has been wearing a version of them since her teens.
“I went to a strict all-girls Catholic school on the Upper East Side where we had to wear uniforms, and our shoes were the only things we were allowed to pick ourselves,” she explains. “I stumbled upon the French Sole flagship store walking home one day and just fell in love with their shoes, so I’ve been a customer, and now I’m a collaborator. It’s been really organic.”
If her past has you wondering “Gossip Girl?” perhaps it won’t surprise you that she’s named two of her latest looks after that series’ two leading ladies, Serena (van der Woodsen, played by Blake Lively) and Blair (Waldorf, played by Leighton Meester) — despite only watching the show briefly. “[My upbringing] definitely had that Upper East Side prep school vibe, and I do have some really cute, preppy ballet
flats, though that show was a lot more glamorous than my actual school days,” she says with a smile. “I always name shoes in my collection after women I love and admire. Sometimes they’re family members [there are actually many Paris and Kathy shoes in the line], sometimes they’re friends and sometimes they’re fictional TV characters.”
In a sense, she’s getting to relive her youth through Lily, who adorably pops in to (organically) model one of her Mom-designed dresses. “I’ve been getting my daughter ready for her first day of kindergarten and have been doing a little school shopping on Madison [Avenue]. I’ve been looking for exactly that French Sole look — just classic, clean, timeless,” she says.
Which, at 5, isn’t something Lily is quite ready for…yet. She goes for anything with rainbows and unicorns — not the classic, East Coast preppy chic her mother favors, but more reminiscent of the funky, trendsetting style of her Aunt Paris.
“My mother and sister are such great role models, and they each have their own unique style, especially Paris. I love that,” she says. “It’s so funny — now you see all these young girls copying her exact looks from back in the day. And that was all her. She never worked with a stylist; it was all just her imagination. There’s something to be said for that, that people are still following those trends today and emulating them.”
Hilton, who describes herself as “shy, funny and sensitive,” is also self-deprecating and humble. She is not one to toot her own horn or subscribe to her own success, though she’s clearly enjoyed just as much as her big sister, admittedly in a more low-key way.
“I mean, I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. I’ve done jewelry, handbags, clothing. I dabbled in childrenswear, which is fun, and which I’d like to explore a bit more,” she says of her eye to the future. (She has also dabbled in the hospitality space, opening two nowshuttered Nicky O Hotels in 2006 — “I don’t know if I’d want to be in that business again right now,” she says — published her first book, 365 Style, in 2014, and collaborated with Smashbox to create a line of cat-inspired makeup kits in 2015.) She says she is working on something in the luxury fashion space — possibly accessory-related — though she can’t currently share more. At the moment, she adds, home decor has piqued her interest.
“We all spent so much time at home this year, and I really just got into making my home beautiful — always making sure there were fresh flowers around, and just caring more about it,” she says. “So maybe down the road I’ll do something in the home space. Bedding has been on my mind, or maybe tabletop trays.”
Whatever she focuses on, no doubt it will be successful. She is the great-granddaughter of Hilton hotels founder Conrad Hilton Sr., after all (she was named after her granduncle Conrad Hilton Jr., who was also nicknamed Nicky), and the daughter of one of the most successful real estate developers in Los Angeles, father Rick. But it is actually a non-family member whose guidance has impacted her career the most.
“I remember meeting with the CEO of a big company, and her advice to me was just one word: focus. And that really resonated with me, because I feel like sometimes you’re trying to do all these different things and always putting your eggs in different baskets. But if you really focus on one particular thing at a time, the incredible can happen.”
