Olivia Palermo
Encyclopedia
Olivia Palermo is an American socialite, model and actress. She was a cast member of the reality television show The City
.
but was later confirmed as a cast member. She agreed to star in the series to familiarize herself with acting. The series debuted on December 29, 2008, it documents the lives of the cast members in New York City. It was reported that Palermo was granted $12,000 per episode at the time. As part of the show, Palermo worked at the PR department for Diane von Furstenberg
and later the accessories department at Elle
. The second part of the first season debuted in September 2009. She was given a bigger role and more air time. The City returned for a second and final season in 2010 where Palermo was given reporting duties for Elle.com.
She was signed to Wilhelmina Models
in 2009. She has appeared on the cover of magazines including Elle
Mexico, Tatler
, ASOS Magazine
, Shop Til You Drop and Marie Claire
UK. She was also selected to be one of the models along with her boyfriend, Johannes Huebl, for the autumn/winter 2010 campaign by Mango
. She also launched a jewelry line with Roberta Freymann in 2010. In August 2011, Palermo was invited by Stuart Weitzman
to design a shoe for charity. She became a guest editor for Piperlime.com in September and appeared as a guest judge on Project Runway
Season 9 in that role. In October, Palermo launched her personal website, consisting of a blog about her travels and fashion pieces by herself and two other full-time writers. She also appeared as a guest judge on Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model.
descent Douglas Palermo and interior designer Lynn Hutchings, Palermo grew up between the Upper East Side
, New York and Greenwich
, Connecticut
where she attended Nightingale-Bamford School
then finally St. Luke's School
, where she was on the field hockey team. She attended the American University of Paris
for a year and studied media at The New School
in New York. Palermo's father filed for bankruptcy
in 2007 after failing to pay $2.75 million to a creditor. However, it was overturned when the judge discovered he had used multiple fake organizations to obscure his actual worth to borrow money and join private clubs and send his children to expensive schools.
She interned at Quest. Photographer Patrick McMullan
spotted her at an auction, then took pictures of her about town. Palermo began taking part in the charity event circuit in New York, becoming a member of the Friends Committee of New Yorkers For Children and joining the committee of Operation Smile
. Palermo found herself at the center of a controversy when she was reported to have sent out a letter to fellow socialites pleading for acceptance. This letter was forwarded to the owners of the social website, SocialiteRank.com who promptly published it. Palermo immediately denied the authenticity of the letter and filed a lawsuit against the website. The website was eventually shut down and in May 2007, Palermo appeared on the cover of New York Magazine in a story about the incident.
The City (MTV series)
The City is an MTV reality television series. The first spin-off of MTV's, The Hills, it follows one of the show's former cast members, Whitney Port, as she moves to New York City to work for fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg. The program premiered on December 29, 2008 and concluded its first...
.
Career
Palermo initially denied rumors in 2008 that she would be a part of The City, a spin-off of MTV's television show The HillsThe Hills
The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
but was later confirmed as a cast member. She agreed to star in the series to familiarize herself with acting. The series debuted on December 29, 2008, it documents the lives of the cast members in New York City. It was reported that Palermo was granted $12,000 per episode at the time. As part of the show, Palermo worked at the PR department for Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
and later the accessories department at Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
. The second part of the first season debuted in September 2009. She was given a bigger role and more air time. The City returned for a second and final season in 2010 where Palermo was given reporting duties for Elle.com.
She was signed to Wilhelmina Models
Wilhelmina Models
Wilhelmina Models is a modeling agency founded in 1967 by the model Wilhelmina Cooper and her husband Bruce Cooper in Manhattan Starting in 2010, Wilhelmina Models started a sub-brand called "Digital Empire Modeling" for new digital-era modeling talents....
in 2009. She has appeared on the cover of magazines including Elle
Elle
Elle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
Mexico, Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
, ASOS Magazine
ASOS.com
ASOS.com is the UK's largest online-only fashion and beauty store. Primarily aimed at 16-34 year old men and women, it offers over 35,000 own-label and branded fashion goods. Sales for the financial year ending 31 March 2011 were £339.7 million....
, Shop Til You Drop and Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
UK. She was also selected to be one of the models along with her boyfriend, Johannes Huebl, for the autumn/winter 2010 campaign by Mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
. She also launched a jewelry line with Roberta Freymann in 2010. In August 2011, Palermo was invited by Stuart Weitzman
Stuart Weitzman
Stuart A. Weitzman is the designer of the international, high-end shoe company, Stuart Weitzman.Stuart Weitzman's trademark use of unique materials , and his attention to detail, garnered him and his company a global following...
to design a shoe for charity. She became a guest editor for Piperlime.com in September and appeared as a guest judge on Project Runway
Project Runway
Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...
Season 9 in that role. In October, Palermo launched her personal website, consisting of a blog about her travels and fashion pieces by herself and two other full-time writers. She also appeared as a guest judge on Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model.
Personal life
The daughter of real omg estate developer of ItalianItalian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
descent Douglas Palermo and interior designer Lynn Hutchings, Palermo grew up between the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
, New York and Greenwich
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
where she attended Nightingale-Bamford School
Nightingale-Bamford School
The Nightingale-Bamford School is an independent all-female university-preparatory school founded in 1920 by Frances Nicolau Nightingale and Maya Stevens Bamford. Located in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, NBS is one of the top ranked private schools in New York City and among one of the...
then finally St. Luke's School
St. Luke's School (Connecticut)
An independent, secular, co-educational day school founded in 1928 and situated on a campus in New Canaan, Connecticut, St. Luke’s offers a college-preparatory curriculum for grades 5 through 12, with a diverse student body of 503 from over 25 towns in Connecticut and New York.The School’s motto...
, where she was on the field hockey team. She attended the American University of Paris
American University of Paris
The American University of Paris is a private, independent, and accredited liberal arts and sciences university in Paris, France. Founded in 1962, the university is one of the oldest American institutions of higher education in Europe...
for a year and studied media at The New School
The New School
The New School is a university in New York City, located mostly in Greenwich Village. From its founding in 1919 by progressive New York academics, and for most of its history, the university was known as the New School for Social Research. Between 1997 and 2005 it was known as New School University...
in New York. Palermo's father filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 2007 after failing to pay $2.75 million to a creditor. However, it was overturned when the judge discovered he had used multiple fake organizations to obscure his actual worth to borrow money and join private clubs and send his children to expensive schools.
She interned at Quest. Photographer Patrick McMullan
Patrick McMullan
Patrick McMullan is an American photographer, columnist, television personality and socialite. His photo work focuses on people, particularly A-list celebrities, Superstar fashion designers, models, actors, politicians, cultural icons and the power elite....
spotted her at an auction, then took pictures of her about town. Palermo began taking part in the charity event circuit in New York, becoming a member of the Friends Committee of New Yorkers For Children and joining the committee of Operation Smile
Operation Smile
Operation Smile is a not-for-profit medical service organization based in Norfolk, Virginia , founded in 1982. A secular NGO, the children's medical charity provides cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, assists countries in reaching self-sufficiency with these surgeries, and...
. Palermo found herself at the center of a controversy when she was reported to have sent out a letter to fellow socialites pleading for acceptance. This letter was forwarded to the owners of the social website, SocialiteRank.com who promptly published it. Palermo immediately denied the authenticity of the letter and filed a lawsuit against the website. The website was eventually shut down and in May 2007, Palermo appeared on the cover of New York Magazine in a story about the incident.