Born into a life of luxury on October 5th, 1983, Nicholai Olivia Hilton grew up in the rich Waldorf-Astoria with parents Kathy and Rick, and sister Paris, who is two years older. Both girls stand to inherit the hundreds of millions of dollars made by great-grandfather Conrad Hilton, who founded the famous Hilton hotels chain. His son, Conrad "Nicky" Hilton, Jr., also handled the hotel business and was the first of Elizabeth Taylor's many husbands.
Exposed to a frenzy of social activity thanks to her class-conscious mother, she couldn't help but be sucked into what New York's elite circle had to offer. Despite moving around from homes in Manhattan, the Hamptons and Beverly Hills, Nicky remained attached to the Big Apple. Like her sister, with whom she is very close, she recognized the need to establish a name for herself that would be separate from the "hotel heiress" label.
While Paris was getting noticed for her modeling work and high-profile relationships with Hollywood actors like Edward Furlong, Nicky emerged in her own right. While keeping her head in her schoolbooks, she began to frequent the types of nightclubs and restaurants that are usually the focus of gossip columns. The late-night outings became a habit and soon the beautiful blonde duo of Paris and Nicky were in the public eye.
The Hilton sisters elbowed their way into New York's inner social circle and, for a while, Nicky got swept up in the dizzying heights this popularity could bring. Magazines such as FHM, Vanity Fair and Vogue noticed the clout the heiresses had and featured photo shoots and interviews of the girls. Socialite extraordinaire, Nicky ate up the publicity and continued to attend big-time events in New York City.
Nicky continued to mature into a woman and, with her beautiful physique, many wondered whether she would try her hand at modeling like Paris had done. Though she does not get enough credit for it, Nicky always had a flair for the business side of things and began studying design in the hopes that her abilities would be fueled. Her goal was to create accessories for the fashion industry, not simply model in them.
Her natural good looks and marketable name were too much to pass up for designer Anand Jon, and consequently, Nicky did end up doing some modeling for him. Her big feat, however, came when she was asked to design handbags for Tokyo-based Samantha Thavasa. Nicky and sister Paris produced such great results, that their handbags could be found in select stores and won over celebrity fans like Britney Spears, Tara Reid and Pamela Anderson.
Once romantically linked with MTV VJ Brian McFayden and male models Mark Vanderloo and Marcus Schenkenberg, Nicky Hilton still has a lot planned. Instead of sitting pretty with her inheritance, she is continuing her work in fashion design and still contributes to the Free Arts for Abused Children Foundation. While her nightclub partying still grabs headlines and makes for interesting water cooler gossip, Nicky Hilton has proven that she is more than just a hot heiress. Her future in the fashion industry is still bright and whether she gets far or not, she'll always provide us with entertaining stories thanks to her crazy New York nightlife.
Perhaps her party days are over now that Nicky is Mrs. Meister: she and New York businessman Todd Andrew Meister got married on August 15, 2004, in an impromptu wedding ceremony in Las Vegas. In October of 2004, the marriage was annulled.
