Biography
Olivia Palermo (born February 28, 1986) is an American socialite, fashion influencer, and entrepreneur. She gained attention after suing socialiterank.com for publishing a false letter, which was covered by New York Magazine on May 4, 2007.
Born in New York City, Palermo was raised on the Upper East Side and in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her father is a real estate developer, and her mother is an interior designer. She has a younger brother named Grant. Palermo attended Nightingale-Bamford School in Manhattan for elementary school and St. Luke's School in New Canaan, Connecticut for high school. She studied at the American University of Paris and The New School. Of Italian heritage, Palermo grew up with a learning disability. She interned at Quest magazine, and photographer Patrick McMullan discovered her at an auction, later photographing her around town. She became involved in New York charity events, joining the Friends Committee of New Yorkers For Children and the committee of Operation Smile.
Palermo launched her career on MTV's reality show The City, which aired from 2008 to 2010, highlighting the lives of young women in New York City. On the show, she worked for Diane von Fürstenberg and later in Elle magazine’s accessories department.
In 2009, she signed with Wilhelmina International Inc. to focus on building her brand. Palermo served as a guest editor for Gap’s now-defunct Piperlime.com in 2011 and appeared as a guest judge on Project Runway Season 9. She modeled for Mango and Hogan’s Autumn/Winter 2010 campaigns. In October 2011, she launched her own website featuring fashion, beauty, and lifestyle editorial content created by full-time writers and contributors. She also appeared as a guest judge on Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model Season 7. In 2012, the New York Post’s Page Six named her the best-dressed New Yorker. Palermo appeared on the August 2018 cover of Glamour Mexico and has been featured in editorials for Grazia Australia and ¡Hola! Fashion Magazine. She has also graced the covers of Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Elle, Flare, Marie Claire, Arcadia, Lucky, Brides, Harper's Bazaar, L'Officiel, Tatler, and Stella. Palermo has represented mid-range brands including Aerin, Max&Co, and Banana Republic.
