Paris Hilton Knows She's An Icon—And She Wants You to Know It, Too

“I really believe that I have the ability to do anything I put my mind to,” says Paris Hilton. Once at the center of the early-aughts tabloid universe, the hotel heiress played up her baby-voiced, party-girl persona for years. She was simply sliving—and declaring “that’s hot” on repeat. But The Simple Life star knew that she was destined for something greater.

“The biggest misconception about me is that I'm just a pretty face,” she tells L’OFFICIEL. “In reality, I'm a passionate entrepreneur, an advocate, and a creative visionary. There's just so much more beneath the surface.” As proof, Hilton has long been busy amassing her own business empire behind the scenes, launching a multibillion-dollar media company (11:11 Media), her namesake perfume brand (Paris Hilton Fragrances), and traveling the world as a DJ (she’s reportedly one of the highest-paid female DJs in the world). All the while, she was also processing the abuse she endured at youth treatment facilities as a teen. 

Since publicly revealing that trauma in 2020, Hilton, 44, has made it her life’s mission to shed light on what’s been dubbed the “troubled teen” industry. In addition to producing a YouTube documentary, This Is Paris on the subject, she wrote a memoir about her experience and testified before Congress to advocate for foster care youth in 2024. She’s also welcomed two children of her own—son Phoenix, 2, and daughter London, 18 months—with her husband, Carter Reum, and has leaned heavily into fundraising after the Los Angeles wildfires in January (her own Malibu home was destroyed). “I just feel really blessed that I'm able to give back in this way,” Hilton tells L’OFFICIEL.

Just last month, she announced that her nonprofit, 11:11 Media Impact, would be giving $25,000 recovery grants to 50 women-owned small businesses impacted by the Eaton Fire. In true Hilton form, she also wanted to treat the grant recipients to a good time—so she invited them to celebrate the launch of her new retail partnership with Ulta Beauty, as well as the release of her 30th perfume, Iconic.

It’s a fitting moniker for the scent, and as a pioneer in the celebrity fragrance space, it’s a label that Hilton is happy to wear herself. “I'm so proud to be one of the original celebrity fragrance founders,” she says. “I launched my first fragrance in 2004—well before it became a trend—and really created the blueprint for today's multibillion dollar industry. As a little girl, I dreamed of having one perfume; I never could have imagined that I would be here, 20 years and 30 fragrances later. So I'm proud to inspire future founders, especially women, to pursue their passions in this space.”

Hilton is all about paving the way for others to succeed—to her, that’s how someone ultimately transcends the barrier from It girl to icon. “Being an It girl is about a moment,” she says. “Being an icon is about building a legacy. An icon is one who changes the game and inspires generations.” Those who fit the bill in her mind? “I’ve always loved Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, and Madonna,” says Hilton, who, in addition to her philanthropic efforts, is inspiring a whole new generation herself today thanks to the resurgence of early ‘00s fashion trends. “I just love that everybody loves Y2K style, because I invented it,” she says. “I've worn a lot of iconic outfits, but one of my favorites was my 21st birthday dress by Julien Macdonald. So many people have been inspired by it, and it makes me so proud to see people recreating my looks on social media and to see myself all over their moodboards.” 

Perhaps Hilton sums up her own lasting influence best: “I've always been ahead of my time, so it's just cool to see that everyone is finally catching up with me,” she says. Below, read our full conversation about her latest fragrance milestones, the power of vulnerability, and how she balances being a “multihyphenate boss babe” with motherhood.

L’OFFICIEL: How does the fragrance Iconic—or the word “iconic” itself—reflect where you're at in life?

PARIS HILTON: Well, as a fragrance, Iconic reflects my evolution into my most confident and empowered self. And for me, at this point in my life, “iconic” means embracing my power and my story, and inspiring others to shine, too. Feeling iconic is totally a state of mind. I think it's important to celebrate your uniqueness every day, and confidence, kindness, and staying true to your sparkle are key.

L’O: When do you feel most confident these days? 

PH: When I'm with my husband and my babies, or my fans. And also when I'm on stage, just being a pop star and singing, and making so many people happy. Or when I've just done a really big business deal. 

L’O: Has being a mom affected the fragrances that you do or don't wear? 

PH: My babies love all of my perfumes, especially Iconic. They love when I wear warm scents—like vanilla, they really love. And florals. 

L’O: What’s the most iconic thing you’ve ever done?

PH: I've done a lot of iconic things in my life. But the most iconic thing I've ever done is probably redefining what it means to be a multihyphenate boss babe with the evolution of my media company, 11:11 Media. I also think it's just so iconic that I've used my voice to make a difference; I just passed my bill [the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act] in Congress [in December] to protect millions of children from abuse. 

L’O: From your memoir to your documentary to your fragrances, you’ve been leaning into authenticity in recent years. How does it feel to just be yourself, without putting on any act?

PH: It's been the most healing thing. I feel like I know myself now. I've been through so much, and it just makes me really proud that now the world can see me—the woman and survivor that I am—and everything I've accomplished. I’m proud that I was able to first tell my story through my documentary, This is Paris, and then through my memoir [Paris: The Memoir], and to have so many people coming up to me and opening up, saying, “Thank you so much for being vulnerable—because of you, I'm able to be vulnerable.” I think it's amazing when you can make others feel safe to talk about things that they've gone through in life, and it just feels really good for people to know the real me now. 

L’O: You've also done amazing outreach in the aftermath of the fires in L.A., raising funds initially and now awarding 50 women-owned businesses with $25,000 recovery grants. Why is it so important for you to uplift other women entrepreneurs amid tragedy? 

PH: It was just so heartbreaking, everything that happened with the L.A. Fires. Right away, I started thinking about all of the women, especially moms and children, who had lost everything and had nowhere to go and sleep that night. My nonprofit [11:11 Media Impact] has raised so much money, and now we just picked these women to give a $1 million grant to [in total] so that they’re able to rebuild their lives and their businesses. I think it's really incredible when women can come together and support each other and lift each other up, and it's something that I'm so proud of with this work. I've just been so touched, hearing all of these women's stories and what they went through and now how much this grant has meant to them in rebuilding their businesses. I actually invited some of the women to my fragrance launch. 

L’O: You lost your own Malibu home in the Palisades Fire. What has this time taught you, personally?

PH: It’s really taught me how resilient, compassionate, and powerful people can be when they come together. It was so inspiring, just watching so many communities come together to support the displaced families. It also deepened my passion for using my platform to create real impact and change. I really believe that true success is about lifting others up and spreading love, and I've seen so many people doing that. And I love L.A. We are survivors. 

L’O: On the business front, is there anything you wish you had known when you first launched your fragrance brand 20 years ago?

PH: I wish I would have known just how important it is to have the right team around you from the start. I think it's important to really trust your instincts; if something or someone doesn't feel right, you should always believe that feeling. It's really about surrounding yourself with people you can trust, who want to lift you up and support you. 

L’O: Speaking of, why was this the right time for you to launch at Ulta Beauty? 

PH: Ulta Beauty has always been one of my favorite places to shop, so this partnership is truly a dream come true for my fragrance business. And this is a huge milestone in my fragrance journey, as well, celebrating the 20th anniversary with my 30th fragrance. I'm just really excited to connect with Ulta's audience and an amazing community of beauty and fragrance enthusiasts. I'm going to be launching Iconic with them in over 1,400 Ulta locations nationwide, and it’s exciting just to be in one of my favorite beauty stores. 

L’O: You’ve already achieved plenty of success across the board, but is there something you still hope to accomplish in your career? 

PH: I feel like I've done everything that I would love to do—with music, writing books, products, and all of the other things. I'm trying to think; I don't know what else there is left to do! I’ll just continue with building my businesses, and being the best mom in the world. 

L’O: How do you balance all of your work projects with your home life? What do you do to relax? 

PH: It's definitely a lot to balance, because I’m doing so much. But I really just try to prioritize what matters most each day. My ultimate self care is spa nights at home in my Sliving Spa, and also just being with my puppies, cooking, and hanging out with my babies. I don't have a lot of free time, but when I do, I'm just spending as much of it with my babies as possible.