On a recent Zoom with Nicky Hilton to chat all things fashion, the entrepreneur could have easily rattled off her current favorites. Instead, she went for visuals, giving me a peek inside her closet. “This is a great Chanel baby blue jacket,” Hilton says, holding the outerwear up to the camera. As I admired her wardrobe, I was reminded of something I already knew: She’s been a fashion girl since day one. However, that’s not to say Hilton’s style hasn’t evolved over the years.
Hilton reflects on the early days when she and her older sister, Paris, stepped into the limelight. “My mom always dressed Paris and me as twins growing up, and when we first started hitting the red carpets, we were clearly influenced by that,” she tells me. One of their most memorable twinning moments to date? The 2001 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, where the duo posed in matching red satin Marc Bouwer gowns. (Coordinated Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses were also a regular part of their rotation.)
The fashion maven also raises an interesting point: stylists weren’t as prominent in the early aughts. Sure, they were around, but Hilton largely dressed herself — and even handled her own glam. “I really miss those days before everything got so manufactured, and you got to really see people’s individual sense of style,” she notes, adding that today, it’s not uncommon for fashion girls to dress in head-to-toe designer samples to grab a cup of coffee. “It was more raw and real,” she says, looking back on the early 2000s.
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Though Hilton has retired some Y2K staples (low-rise jeans, for one), the socialite was wise to hold onto her designer bags from the era, as many have returned over the past year. Among them are her Fendi Spy, Dior Saddle, and YSL Mombasa styles. Fendi Baguette bags, too, hold a special place in her heart. “I love scrolling 1stDibs and different auction sites, trying to track them down, because I collect Baguette bags,” Hilton says.
Beyond handbags, her mother, Kathy Hilton, kept a selection of now-vintage Alaïa pieces, which she later passed down. Some of Tom Ford’s early designs have a permanent place in Hilton’s closet as well. “I remember when he announced his retirement from Gucci [in 2004], I went into the store and just bought as much as I could,” she shares.
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These days, Hilton subscribes to a simple fashion philosophy: buy less and invest in a few strong wardrobe essentials. “I always go to Max Mara; I love how timeless and classic it is,” she says, joking that her teddy coat collection is already at max capacity. “I love Alice + Olivia for everyday; Stacey makes beautiful suits and really fun sparkly jackets,” Hilton adds.
As for how Hilton’s style differs from her maximalist older sister’s, she puts it simply: there’s always a blue sister and a pink one — and she falls firmly into the former camp. “I don’t own many pink things, to be honest, although Paris is having a Barbie Dream House-themed birthday this weekend, so I think I’m gonna wear this cute pink Rebecca Vallance dress,” she shares, showing me the bow-adorned mini.
Much like her mother, Hilton enjoys dressing her daughters, Lily-Grace and Theodora, in matching outfits. “I love when children dress like children,” she explains about her approach to their wardrobes. She’s particularly fond of La Coqueta — so much so that Hilton even co-designed a line with the label. “Some of the pieces in the collection are inspired by dresses I used to wear as a child,” Hilton shares. “There’s also a lot of Easter egg colors, lace, and bows — all the things that I love.”
This isn’t Hilton’s first foray into the design world. In fact, she joined forces with Rebecca Vallance — one of her go-to labels — on a party-themed holiday capsule in 2024. She’s also at the helm of her own brand, having launched her jewelry line, Theo Grace — named after her daughters — last summer. In other words, Hilton is (and has long been) one to watch in the fashion space.