Paris Hilton: 'Not just another trust fund kid'

For years, the world's beef with Paris Hilton was that she was famous for being famous. And perhaps also that she'd, in a way, given us Kim Kardashian as we know her today (the latter being Hilton's former closet assistant) - but definitely more for the first thing. That, however, is not a grievance anyone can feign outrage over anymore because the Paris of today is a far cry from the 'ditzy blonde' of yesteryear. Today, she reigns over a veritable empire - with 19 product lines raking in the millions every year - and, love her or hate her, the numbers don't lie.
Certainly not the number of fans that fetched up recently at the brands4u store by Concept Brands Group at Dubai Festival City Mall to see the star launch her 24th fragrance. Armed with bouquets of roses and just-purchased bottles of Platinum Rush - her latest fruity-floral scent - they held their spots for almost two hours in the hopes of meeting their idol. And when she finally arrived, any reports of the socialite being highly temperamental were shot down as she patiently signed autographs and posed for selfies with her adoring devotees.
There's much image crafting at play - from her sparkly designer outfit coordinated to match her equally-glitzy perfume bottle, to the way she briefly turned her back to the audience while onstage to touch up her makeup, to the soft, sultry voice she adopts to answer questions from the crowd. She looked like a star - it's hard to imagine anyone else getting away with diamond-encrusted sunnies in the middle of a mall in the middle of the day - and was even on point as far as millennial-speak was concerned, responding to any use of her name with a demure, elongated "Yaaas". If anything, the whole show was a reminder of the complete reinvention the hotel heiress had to undergo to shed all the unflattering public perceptions she garnered from her time on her reality show, The Simple Life.
Well, it's been over a decade since, and she's certainly holding her own, but if you ask the former party-hard socialite, it hasn't been easy. "It took a lot of hard work [to rebrand myself]. When I started The Simple Life, I had a plan: I always knew I wanted to be a brand and have my own fragrance - and now, I have a global empire that I created on my own before there was social media."
The last clause is a claim Hilton has not hesitated to throw out at every turn - and, perhaps, not without reason, when you consider how much easier it is to find your way into the spotlight today. "Everyone's so lucky to have technology today, because it's such an incredible tool and platform if you use it in the proper way," she says. But then again, tooting her own horn is not something the star is averse to, telling the crowd at one point how her skincare range is "literally the fountain of youth". Consider it part of her ethos as a "confident" woman - confidence being one of the inspirations for Platinum Rush.
The more skeptical might be inclined to raise their eyebrows at this point: after all, it must be far easier to build an empire when you have a famous last name, but the entrepreneur - who is also one of the highest-paid DJs in the world and owns her own hotels - begs to differ. "I know I didn't have to do any of this," she states. "I do it because I love it. I feel lucky that my parents never spoiled me. They taught me about work ethic and really instilled that in me from a young age... I think that's really important for children coming from privileged families to have that instilled in them. I know I wouldn't be happy if I was just another trust fund kid."
That's not to say the 37-year-old doesn't still court controversy - her most recent run-in with the press occurred when she decided to hand out branded Paris Hilton pillows and bottles of her latest fragrance to earthquake victims in Mexico. What's more, her arrival in Dubai occurred the day after news broke that she'd reportedly called off her engagement to actor Chris Zylka - a little awkward considering the fragrance she was launching was once dedicated to him. "Platinum Rush is very special to me, as it will forever mark a time in my life when I found my true love. This fragrance speaks to my own romantic fairy tale, and the culmination of my personal journey to celebrate life with my best friend and soul mate," she'd said at the time, four months ago.
If she was feeling the split, she hid it well behind both sunglasses and smiles, shunning neither journalist nor fan in her interactions. The focus was very firmly back on building her brand. "Success drives me," she explains. "It runs in my blood and in my DNA. My advice? Never let anyone hold you back." Whatever you want to say about Paris Hilton, she sure knows what success smells like.
karen@khaleejtimes.com