Olivia Palermo

Olivia Palermo is an American socialite, media personality, fashion influencer, model, and business owner. Born on February 28, 1986, she first gained widespread public attention through television appearances and her prominent involvement in fashion and social circles. Over her career, she has established a significant presence in global fashion media, digital publishing, and corporate brand partnerships.

Palermo was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, and on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. She is of Italian heritage and has a learning disability. Her mother worked in interior design, while her father was active in real estate development; she also has a younger brother named Grant. For her early education, Palermo attended the Nightingale-Bamford School in Manhattan, followed by St. Luke’s School in Connecticut. She later pursued higher education at the American University of Paris and The New School. Her early career steps included an internship at Quest magazine, and after photographer Patrick McMullan captured her image at a charitable auction, she became a regular figure in social event coverage. Around this time, she engaged in local philanthropic efforts, serving on committees for New Yorkers For Children and Operation Smile.

Palermo’s public career expanded significantly when she was cast in the MTV reality television show The City, which aired from 2008 to 2010. During the show's run, she worked for fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg and subsequently in the accessories division of Elle magazine. In 2009, she signed with the talent agency Wilhelmina International Inc. to focus on building her brand. Her media profile grew through modeling campaigns for brands such as Mango and Hogan in 2010, alongside television appearances as a guest judge on Project Runway and Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model. She launched her editorial lifestyle and fashion website in October 2011 and was recognized by the New York Post as Page Six's best dressed New Yorker in 2012. Over the years, she has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, including Glamour Mexico, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar.

Throughout her career, Palermo has engaged in diverse commercial ventures and design collaborations. Beginning with a joint jewelry collection with Roberta Freymann in 2010, she designed shoes for charity with Stuart Weitzman, sunglasses supporting micro-credit initiatives with Westward Leaning, and footwear lines with Aquazzura. She subsequently partnered with luxury goods and beauty labels such as Aspinal of London, Baublebar, and Ciaté London, releasing a mother-inspired red nail polish shade with the latter. Additional fashion partnerships included collections with Nordstrom and Banana Republic, as well as a 2017 collaboration with Meli Melo to design a bucket bag inspired by artist Max Bill. Furthermore, Palermo served as the global style ambassador for Banana Republic and represented the Pikolinos Maasai Project.

In 2021, Palermo established her cosmetics and skincare company, Olivia Palermo Beauty. The brand focuses on vegan and cruelty-free formulas created without ingredients like parabens, sulfates, and mineral oil, expanding its retail reach internationally through 2024. In her personal life, Palermo married German model Johannes Huebl in a private ceremony in Bedford, New York, on June 28, 2014.