The Hilton Sisters

By Sarah Templeton & Ines Mendoza

Paris and Nicky Hilton pretty much set the standard for young, filthy-rich socialites, what with their billion-dollar disposable income and striking good looks.

But while being sexy, rich and famous is one thing, the girls are also known for their hard-to-get-along with attitudes, and while I'd be loathe to side with this ultra-rich blonde duo, much of this negative light is due to the media's representation of the girls.

Heiresses to the Hilton millions (a hotel chain), both Paris and Nicky are well-known socialites and celebrity figures in the über chic New York social scene. They rub shoulders with the rich and famous every week, from fashion designers, to Hollywood heart-throbs to race car drivers and sometimes even the odd Royal Prince.

Paris is the elder of the two sisters, born on February 17, 1981, while Nicky was born on October 5, 1983. The girls' parents, Rick and Kathy, are currently in control of the worldwide Hilton Hotel name, which was started by the girls' great-grandfather, Conrad Hilton.

Conrad Hilton Jr, the girls' grandfather, brought a little notoriety to the family name when he married Elizabeth Taylor - her first husband - and also set the scene the for the way the Hilton's would ultimately live their lives: in the spotlight.

Paris and Nicky Hilton grew up in the super-affluent New York dwelling, the Waldorf-Astoria, and also spent time at the other family properties located in Beverly Hills and the Hamptons.

The sisters were good students, performing well in their school studies, but when elder sibling Paris had finished school, university was far from her mind. Which isn't really surprising considering her privileged background.

As such, Paris's snub of higher education proved to be quite beneficial, as she discovered that no work and no school meant there was plenty of spare time to party like its 1999, or something like that...

Apart from gaining a reputation as one of New York's newest and most popular socialites, seen getting cosy with such stars as Leo DiCaprio and Edward Furlong, both Paris and Nicky have delved into the world of fashion, along with an endless list of males underpants.

Thanks to her AAA contact list, she started modeling for designers like Marc Bouwer and Catherine Malandrino and even starred in an ad campaign for Italiano label 'Iceberg', modeling the latest Ice jeans.

Meanwhile, younger sister Nicky was spending a lot of time with a just-out of school Paris, which meant much underage partygoing. Together, the sisters' social status climbed, but at one stage it was for all the wrong reasons...

The girls would attend party after party acting as if they were royalty (which they are sometimes aptly referred to in America), with one story suggesting Paris forcibly pushed her way ahead of others in queue for the toilets. When quizzed as to her rude behaviour, she replied nonchalantly that she wanted to look at herself in the mirror.

They have also been spotted dancing on top of bars, bearing their boobs simply for the attention and could be seen sporting confronting tiny-tee designs, with slogans like "Got Blow?".

But despite their increasingly trashy image, they always made the tabloid headlines, and before long the likes of GQ, FHM and Vanity Fair magazine were clamouring for the Hilton girls to work with them - which they did.

But before Nicky was introduced to the world of celebrity, fame and bitchy back-stabbing, like her elder sister she was a model student. She also has good business acumen, and after following in her sisters footsteps by doing a spot of modeling, she started to study design in the hopes of becoming a fashion designer.

More recently, she has in fact designed a range of handbags for Tokyo-based Samantha Thavasa, which have proved popular, with such dignitaries as Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson seen toting them about. In early 2006, Nicky also unveiled another line of clothing called Nicky Hilton Beverly Hills, which follows the 2004 debut of Nicky Hilton's Chick, aimed at the under 20 demographic. The new Nicky Hilton Beverly Hills line is aimed at a slightly older audience, with Nicky saying that her current creations are "clothes my friends and I could wear," and that they wouldn't be super expensive.This ain't Prada," she added at the label's launch in a Las Vegas nightclub in February 2006.

Getting back to her higher profile sister, Paris, it seems that ruling the social world is not enough to slake the thirst of celebrity, and so a steadily growing list of television appearances was needed, including Las Vegas, Veronica Mars and a humorous cameo on the hit show The O.C. which stars one of Hilton's latest party chums Mischa Barton.

However, her most notable foray into TV is the hit reality series The Simple Life, which until recently, co-starred fellow socialite Nicole Ritchie. The two had a rather public spat, which has led to numerous and brutal slanging matches between the two former best friends.

Ritchie was then replaced by Rod Stewart's daughter, Kimberly on the series, and then it switched back to Richie after the pair appeared to have kissed and made up. The TV show itself is apparently struggling for ratings and a network willing to air the show, however.

But it doesn't end there. Paris' film career seems to be going from strength to strength. In a recent interview it was suggested that Paris felt she would very soon be auditioning for the same parts as Oscar Winner Charlize Theron. And how can she not? Most people will agree that Charlize' performances in Monster and North Country are easily on par with the film unlucky to be snubbed at this years Oscars - One Night In Paris. On a more serious note, she has had cameo appearances in Ben Stiller's amusing Zoolander, Cat in the Hat, and even scored starring roles in House of Wax and the upcoming Pledge This!

However, starring in a sometimes-popular TV show and looking at a burgeoning film career seem to have done little for her attempts at starting a modeling agency and makeup range which appear to have died a most grisly death (not unlike her performance in House of Wax).

More recently elder sibling Paris appears to be falling out of grace with not only her friends, but the public too. In addition to being dumped by her boyfriend Stavros Niarchos Jr, Jr, (or Stav III as he prefers) and being denied access to the best apres-Oscars party in Hollywood - hosted by Vanity Fair - Paris has also had an unusual three year restraining order successfully pinned on her.

Brian Quintana, an events manager/producer, and the very same individual who introduced Paris Hilton to Stavros Niarchos III (also a young billionaire inheritee), won a court case against Hilton, which resulted in her having to stay at lest 90 metres away from him for three years - which is more than a thousand days. The reason? Quintana urged Stav III to stop dating Paris, after which he did, and obviously pissed at such advice, Paris allegedly began harassing and threatening Quintana. Youch...

At the end of the day, both Hilton sisters still love the party life, attending many of the big ticketed, red carpeted and sequin studded events that the world has to offer, with small dogs in handbags in tow. They stand to inherit a terrifying amount of money and will probably continue to offer good stories for all the glossy magazines for decades to come.

But the question remains: Are they demanding, spoilt brats with no talents or lucky girls with extravagant ambition? We'll let you be the judge.

Source: Unknown Photography: Unknown	Source: Unknown Photography: Unknown