Paris Hilton (Photo by Chris Zylka)
From LLNYC: Blame it on the heat: Our typically hectic NYC schedules are freer in the summer and our thoughts are always turned toward the weekend. We are in the mood for a party and it shows in this issue of LLNYC.
After all, could there be anyone who combines parties and luxury living better than our cover star, Paris Hilton?
Consider her in-demand DJ gigs, which rank her as the highest-paid female DJ in the world. The hotel heiress has come a long way from her days as tabloid fodder, refashioning herself as a business woman in the style of Ivanka Trump, a family friend and another real estate heiress with a famous last name.
If it seems everything is coming up roses for the hotel heiress these days, that’s because it probably is. Her perfume business, which has made more than $3 billion, is releasing her latest fragrance, Rosé Rush, this month. She has her own hotel, the Paris Beach Club, in the Philippines, and is opening another there, as well as exploring other international locations.
She’s also collaborating with her boyfriend, Chris Zylka (of HBO’s “The Leftovers” fame) on a number of creative projects, including our very own cover shoot. Zylka took the photos and Paris told us, “We love making art together, doing photo shoots and making music. I loved having my man behind the camera, you can see it in my smile in my photos.” Check out the story by Isabel Schwab.
As for real estate, we checked out homes for horse lovers. We scoured the Hamptons, upstate New York, Connecticut and New Jersey for the most lavish equestrian spreads where owners can stable and ride horses on their own properties. The barns are so stunning and immaculate we would consider living in them ourselves.
Meanwhile, it’s no accident that celebrities like Paris always look camera-ready when photographed around town. Our look at the top stylists in New York City notes: “Almost every A-list star has a stylist or two on call who can expertly throw together a look for them that’s casually cool yet annoyingly fabulous.” But non-famous folks (with enough money to spend) can do this too. We tracked down the fashionable folks who can help transform your wardrobe.
Of course once you’re all dressed up, you’ll need somewhere to go. We profile an ongoing underground party that has become a fixture of New York’s artistic scene. “Shanghai Mermaid” is committed to events recreating ultra-specific times and places (Marrakech in 1930 or Mexico City in 1929), which means getting your costume exactly right down to the width of your lapels.
Also worth checking out is the latest cocktail craze — smoked drinks. We detail the bars on the Lower East Side where you can get concoctions like the Daahoud — a mix of Bulleit rye, oloroso sherry and Bénédictine — which arrives in an upturned glass filled with smoke, righted and then poured in front of your eyes. It’s a nice way to wow a date.
Finally, as cannabis use moves into the mainstream, we look at cannabis-themed fashion and wellness products that are aimed at the wealthy. We’re talking about a leaf-patterned $5,500 pavé diamond choker necklace and a $1,295 acrylic clutch that spells out “Weed” for a chic and unabashed message.
For even more extreme debauchery (there’s a lot in this issue), Christopher Cameron tracked down Michael Alig, the former provocateur-in-chief of New York’s party scene (which was no easy task, as you can read about.) The notorious Club Kid of the 1990s has returned to promoting parties in a New York City that seems to have sobered up in his absence.
But to many, his name is taboo for his role in the killing of his friend, Andre “Angel” Melendez. And Alig’s friends are concerned that’s he diving into the very lifestyle that lead to the tragedy.
But Alig feels his repentence is tied up in rebuilding New York City’s nightlife scene into the haven it once was for artistic types. Of his parties, he said, “I want this to be a place where artists come to meet other artists and make a family.”
After all this partying (or reading about partying), you’ll need some medical attention. Learn about concierge doctors, who will go so far as to “make house calls, meet the patient at their office or even hop on a private jet to supervise medical care in another state.” Their bedside manner is delivered at your bedside, for a not-insignificant fee of course.
Enjoy the issue!