Nicky Hilton Rothschild’s Most Personal Project Will Surprise You

Photo Credit: Scott McDermott

BY LAURA SCHREFFLER

PHOTOGRAPHY SCOTT MCDERMOTT

STYLING MARISSA PELLY

HAIR VALERIE DOMINGUEZ

MAKEUP JOEL VASQUEZ using Natura Bissé  

SHOT ON LOCATION AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL NEW YORK

For someone born into one of the most iconic hotel dynasties in the world, Nicky Hilton Rothschild has never been one to check in and coast. She’s built fashion lines, footwear collaborations, and now, her most personal project to date: a newly-launched jewelry brand that’s less about flex and more about feeling. But don’t be fooled — behind these heirloom-worthy lockets and charm bracelets fueled by a deep love of monograms, memory-making, meaningful gifts, and — most of all — her daughters, is a founder who still leaves her mugs out, drawers open, and can talk about diamond-studded cats in the same breath.

Speaking of mugs, she’s fittingly sipping from one depicting Peppa Pig whilst settled at her kitchen table in Manhattan, sharing that, like most successful ventures, her new brand, Theo Grace, wasn’t born overnight. “I feel like this project is so long overdue for me; it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years,” the 41-year-old multi-hyphenate admits. “I’ve always loved charm bracelets. Always loved lockets. Anything with sentiment attached.”
That word — “sentiment” — is apt in that it is the soul of Theo Grace. More than just accessories, each silver and gold piece is designed as a heartfelt symbol of love, connection, and everyday celebration that can be personalized with names, dates, and even photos.

Hilton describes her own obsession with personalization as borderline compulsive. “If you come to my house, the sheets, the pillows, the robes, the mugs — everything is monogrammed,” she says, grinning. “I love anything with initials, anything that says, ‘this belongs to me’ or ‘this means something to us.’ I also just love a personal touch, and I love jewelry. So, to combine those two loves to make a great product at a great quality, is very, very exciting for me.”

Photo Credit: Scott McDermott

It’s not surprising, then, that the design process for Theo Grace was painstakingly thoughtful. “Every charm, every clasp — we didn’t rush it. I wanted it to feel like something that could become someone’s signature,” she explains. “I worked with jewelers who understood the emotional weight behind it. This isn’t just sparkle for sparkle’s sake. This is about connection.”

The inaugural line includes delicate gold chains, heart lockets, and charms that could be engraved with anything from initials to full love notes. “I wanted everything to be wearable, but also deeply personal,” she says. “These aren’t red carpet pieces. These are ‘every single day of your life’ pieces. They’re pieces that tell a story, that evoke a memory. I wanted to create timeless keepsakes for every generation.”

Most of all, it would seem, for her family’s next generation. That the brand was both named after and inspired by her daughters, seven-year-old Theodora, and 10-year-old Lily Grace, instantly personalizes the collection. “Their names are all over the line,” she says. “It made them feel special.”

In general, that’s kind of the point of the brand. Every story is unique, and Hilton wanted to tap into this sentiment in an impactful way. Her daughters favor the customer pet rings and lockets that — for the entire Rothschild clan — currently cradle a shot of the family, which also includes three-year-old son Chasen and her husband James, on vacation in Hawaii. “They love showing whoever will look,” she says with a smile.

When it comes to the piece that tells her story best, the answer comes quickly. “I love the lockets,” she says. “I’ve collected lockets since I was a little girl. The idea that you’re carrying a little secret close to your heart is so romantic, so nostalgic.” She also favors the charm pieces, which she’s currently wearing. She holds her necklace up to the light, showing me how she’s made this particular piece purely her own. “You can insert your initials or a special date, and for me, that’s what the collection really is: the concept is like a walking love note.”

That old-school romance is baked into every part of Theo Grace — from the soft suede pouches each piece arrives in, to perfect powder blue boxes tied with grosgrain ribbon. “I wanted the unboxing to feel like opening a letter from someone who really knows you,” she explains.

It’s clear that this isn’t just a brand she’s put her name on — it’s personal, and, as such, she’s been fully hands-on, every detail specifically curated. She references the plentiful brainstorming sessions she had with her team of co-owners, a seasoned group of artisans with over two decades of industry expertise (a… MYKA), a jewelry conglomerate formerly known as MYKA, and how each future capsule collection will not only elicit an emotion, but reflect her signature esthetic, with the intention of continuing to tell her evolving story.

That’s been a common theme across every single Nicky Hilton-approved item, from the brands she’s created in the past — a clothing line, handbags, Art Deco baubles, footwear, even a Mommy and Me effort with Tolani — to her go-to uniform of choice: skinny jeans, a button-down, her French Sole ballerina flats, and a blazer — and that is authenticity.

“I’ve been designing and creating for 25 years. I’ve done a lot of things, and when I think about it, everything I’ve done has been authentic,” she declares. “I’m so not one of those people who’s going to slap my name on something for a royalty check. That doesn’t excite me. Everything I’ve done, I’ve loved and worn, and it’s been very organic.”
There’s another word she would use, as well, and that is “wearable.” She says, “A lot of people make beautiful things, but they’re not really practical. Wearability and accessibility have always been at the forefront when I’m doing anything.”

Convenience is important, too. “I wanted incredible quality at an incredible price,” she admits, adding, “A while ago, I commissioned a jeweler to create a locket of my cat. And not only was it thousands and thousands of dollars, but it took eight months to come, which was a little annoying. So, the fact that we can create these high-quality pieces that are accessibly-priced and that you receive promptly, is exactly what I always want for myself — and everyone else.”

She takes a sip of tea and smiles beatifically, as the afternoon sunlight streams in through her kitchen window, while Theodora — in the background, but ever-immortalized thanks to her mom — drifts in and out of frame. “It’s not just about jewelry,” she says. “It’s about storytelling. It’s about who we love, what we remember, and what we choose to pass on.”

The only difference between this project and her other ventures? “This one’s mine,” she says simply. “It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever done.”

Photo Credit: Scott McDermott

“They called us the Eloises of the Waldorf Astoria,” Nicky Hilton Rothschild tells me.

She’s referring to the years of her youth that she and big sister Paris spent living in the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York, real-life versions of Kay Thompson’s iconic character, Eloise at The Plaza, a little girl growing up among the spoils of wealth in New York.

Her former home, a 47-story, 625-foot-tall Art Deco landmark, officially reopened after nearly a decade on the day of our interview. And with it, the past and present collided.

While her family may not own the hotel any longer — they sold the Hilton Hotel brand to The Blackstone Group, a private equity firm, in 2007 for $26 billion — it’s still a deeply personal place — so much so that the Hiltons will host their annual Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize gala there this fall. At $2.5 million, it is the world’s largest annual humanitarian award presented to nonprofit organizations, created by her great-grandfather, with the mission of alleviating human suffering and helping vulnerable and disadvantaged people around the world.

That aside, its very existence — updated, refreshed, enhanced, reinvented — is a reminder of how far she’s come. That Louis Rigal’s 148,000-piece Wheel of Life mosaic is front and center at the entrance is not lost on her. It is a physical reminder that she — the lone Hilton who didn’t jump ship to Los Angeles — can see every day, if she chooses to. It is also a reminder that, though she and Paris were the proverbial princesses of Park Avenue, have proven to the world in spades that they’ve worked for everything that they now have.

For her part, Nicky has always carried her family name with a blend of grace, grit, and a determination to prove that she was worthy of it. Yes, she was born into luxury — her great-grandfather was Conrad “Nicky” Hilton, after all — but the trappings of privilege never replaced her work ethic. In fact, they fueled it.

“When Paris and I came on the scene, people thought of us as famous for being famous, trust fund kids that don’t do anything. I think it’s fair to say that we have proven them very much wrong. We are workers and entrepreneurs and have been since we were teenagers.”

Photo Credit: Scott McDermott

While Paris was known for her loud luxury esthetic, Nicky has quietly and thoughtfully negotiated her business ventures, launching each with her signature brand of flair and grace. And yes, if you need to correlate that back to her great-grandfather, so be it. But it would be more accurate to say that she was influenced by her grandfather, Barron Hilton, who served as the chairman, president, and CEO of Hilton Hotels Corporation, significantly expanding the company his father founded, as well as her own father, Rick, the chairman and co-founder of Beverly Hills real estate brokerage firm Hilton & Hyland.

“We were told by my father at a very young age that we had to work and make a name for ourselves; it really instilled a strong work ethic in us,” she notes. “And you know, to this day, we show up. We show up on time. We do the job to the best of our ability.”

The job could be business-related, it could apply to family, or it could apply to philanthropy. And in her perfect world, all three would collide.

“Whenever I’m doing my own personal work, I always try to include an element of giving back,” she shares. “Right now, we’re figuring that out with Theo Grace. I’m going to incorporate how the animal jewelry on our website will benefit Animal Haven [a local non-profit she works with]. I’m also on the board of God’s Love We Deliver. Every year, I host their annual children’s benefit at the Museum of Ice Cream, which is really fun for me because I’m able to bring my children, introduce them to the work, and to the power of giving back and helping others.”

It’s only fair, she insists, given how much her children have helped her. “They’ve taught me patience, patience I did not know that I had. They’ve made me want to be the best version of myself because they’re like sponges: they soak up and mirror all of your good — as, unfortunately, your bad habits. You want to become a really good role model for them.”

I express disbelief that Hilton has any bad habits — she seems too perfect — but she swears she does. “My husband would disagree!” she laughs. “He goes crazy when I leave mugs out everywhere and drawers open. I’m not always the tidiest person, so I will say that’s definitely a flaw.”

If that’s all he can complain about, it’s no wonder that the two recently happily celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary, and are seemingly more in love than ever. James Rothschild, a British financier who happens to be a member of the Guinness family, recently commissioned a jeweler to make her cat’s face in diamonds — whiskers and all, “knowing I’m wildly obsessed with cats, and thus fulfilling my crazy cat lady fantasy.” In turn, she romantically commissioned an artist to do an oil painting of how the stars were aligned 14 years ago when they first met in Italy. [That being said, Hilton is a renowned gift-giver]

For their 10^th wedding anniversary on July 10, the couple returned to the scene of their magical wedding ceremony in London — held at incredibly posh Orangery at Kensington Palace — and had afternoon tea. “We actually looked at our wedding album on my phone, and looked around the room remembering all of the special moments,” she recalls. “We didn’t bring the kids; it was just the two of us, which we rarely do, and it was really fun and special.” They hit all their favorite spots: Claridge’s, Wilton’s, The River Café, and shut down Kensington pub The Blue Stoops — inviting all of James’ friends from high school and college — for a belated 40^th birthday party.

Photo Credit: Scott McDermott

Hilton — who goes by both all combinations of Hilton and Rothschild (“at this point, it’s like, whatever you want to call me, call me — I’ll go with it”) — acknowledges that while she doesn’t always have the best memory for everything, her wedding day hit differently. “I remember it perfectly, as if it were yesterday, although it was 10 years ago. I have this very vivid memory of it, and I don’t of everything.”

But maybe that’s because for her, finding true love was the ultimate prize. She had two strong role models, after all: her parents, Rick and Kathy, have been married for over 45 years.

“My parents are the template for the most magical marriage,” she confides. “They’ve been married for over 40 years and they’re more in love than ever. I think I always looked to that as something that I wanted to emulate — and I am very lucky to have found such a great partner, and to have had three amazing kids. I feel very lucky and blessed.”

Her parents’ closeness set the bar for the rest of the family — she even recently went on vacation with her parents in Capri — and divulges that she’s working on a few “exciting projects” with her mom — design-focused, like the Ruggable collection they created together last year.

She’ll “never say never” to opening a hotel — it’s part of her natural-born legacy, after all — but right now, her focus in on Theo Grace, and, as a diehard Libra, trying to manage the balancing act that is her life.

“There aren’t oftentimes where your personal and professional life are smooth; it always feels like one is overtaking the other. When you have those moments of balance and clarity, that’s the greatest luxury in life,” she notes.
Hilton smiles, tea cooling beside her, as Theodora floats back into the frame. It’s not lost on Hilton how these fleeting, ordinary moments — children wandering in and out of the room, mugs left on tables, sketches taking shape between school pickups — are, in fact, the moments that make a life. It’s clear that Hilton’s world isn’t just crafted in gold and enamel.

Which is why, as we say goodbye, she notes once again that this project isn’t just about jewelry — it’s about storytelling, memory, and connection. It’s about honoring who we love and what we carry forward. Those personal touches are what define both her family life and her business. Hilton isn’t chasing viral moments — she’s building something enduring. And she’s doing it in a way that reflects her values: with warmth, with intention, and with the kind of grace you can’t fake. 

Photo Credit: Scott McDermott