Girl Boss

 

- Farrah Storr

Hello, I’m looking for Olivia Palermo.” The hotel receptionist stares blankly back at me. “Olivia Pa..ler..mo?” I say, slower this time. Still nothing. “Is she a guest here?” the woman asks, frowning, then languidly taps through the computer database. I lean over the desk. “Erm, not exactly. I’m meeting her for an interview. She’s a… she’s a…” I whisper the last part, “She’s a celebrity.” The woman smiles. “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am. Should I have known that?”

Of course Olivia Palermo is not a celebrity. Not really. The 31-year-old New Yorker is something far more aspirational than that. She is an influencer and social media sensation who has used her sometime-celebrity (you’ll remember her from 2008 reality show