Paris Hilton is back with ‘Come Alive’

Once hailed as New York's leading it-girl, Hilton is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton hotels , but has spent much of her life trying to escape her heritage. Last year she even launched herself as an international DJ at the Amnesia nightclub in Ibiza and the club nights proved so successful - "I killed it" - that she is returning this summer. "I feel like DJs are the new rock stars," says Hilton modestly. Reviews, however, were mixed. One commentator described her as "fun and lovely", while another said her residency marked "the end of Ibiza".



When she is not singing, acting, posing or DJing, she is building her business empire , the cornerstone of which is her perfume line. "We've done over $1.8 billion in sales [on my fragrances]. I have 16 other product lines [including] clothing, sunglasses, shoes, lingerie, swimwear, eyelashes, nails, my own motorcycle team, dog clothes… I have 60 Paris Hilton stores that carry all my products." Recently she opened her first hotel, in the Philippines. "It's called Paris, not Hilton, just me," she says, "because I don't want people to think it's my family's. It's mine."



When Hilton "needs one of those" she tends to get it. But, as she is at pains to point out, it is on her own tab. "People assume because I'm a Hilton that 'her parents gave that to her'. It's annoying because it's so far from the truth." Hilton parlayed her success as a socialite into a business, launching a lifestyle brand in 2004. She started with a jewellery line sold on Amazon, then helped create a perfume for Parlux. It was intended as a small release but, thanks to her name, became a huge success and the first of many scents. She has always stressed that she did this alone, without financial assistance from her family . Although Hilton gives credit to her "amazing team", she says that all the key decisions are hers.



"I am the CEO and the creative director. I come up with ideas and I always make the final decision. I like to get people's opinions but I'm the boss." Later I speak to her manager, Jamie, who is downstairs putting the finishing touches to a video to launch her 17th fragrance. "I figure out how to mould and translate Paris's ideas - for example, she gives me notes on wardrobe and accessories and I keep redesigning until we have it." She shows me her bedroom, with its black and gold bed and a terrace overlooking her swimming-pool and the San Fernando valley beyond. To the right is her dog-kennel, which looks like a small Italian villa, complete with cornicing, black crystal chandelier and designer furniture. "Hi baby, I love you," she coos, waving at one of the dogs which has appeared on its own miniature balcony.



"I'll show you my closet," says Hilton, leading me into a room that is almost as large as her bedroom with multiple rows of shoes, predominantly Jimmy Choo . There are no clothes. "This is just my shoobies," she explains, in baby-talk. "Here is my real closet." We walk into another large room, where hundreds, if not thousands, of designer dresses are hanging. How on earth does she choose what to wear? "It gives me a panic attack sometimes," she says with a laugh, throwing her arms against a rail of dresses and sinking theatrically into it. Her eye falls on a turquoise bejewelled mini sheath dress. "This is a custom piece I had made in India. I love it because it just blings." She takes it off the rail: "I think I might use it in my music video."



Her parents, she says, have always been supportive and she is still close to them: her mother calls her several times a day (at least twice while I am with her) and they all dine together once a week. "I had the most amazing childhood," says Hilton, hugging her knees to her chest. "My parents have been together since my mom was 15. In Hollywood almost everyone's divorced. My friends would come to my house and see this perfect family and I realised how lucky I was. Now, when I'm looking for a guy, I'm always thinking of someone who is like my dad: a loyal person with a good heart, because that's all that matters in life." She refers often to the day "when I have a family" and longs for children - but not yet. "I wouldn't have time right now… I'm only in LA maybe 20 per cent of the time. I wish I was here more."



She believes her businesses are so successful because her fans (she has 12.8 million followers on Twitter ) want "to buy a piece of me. It's like a kind of Barbie American dream. I have that childlike quality so a lot of little girls especially [like me]. I've always been a kid at heart. I think I always will be." A big believer in astrology, Hilton says she is a true Aquarian. "We are social butterflies, humanitarians, geniuses: Einstein was one." It takes a lot of self-control not to poke fun here. But even if she and Einstein have little in common, Hilton could easily have been nothing more than a socialite. She could have married one of her Greek heirs, smiled prettily for the cameras and wanted for nothing in life. That she refuses to settle for this says something for her.