Lydia Hearst

When we saw Lydia Hearst’s French Playboy cover last week, we wondered what the extended Hearst family might think of the young socialite's nude spread.

According to Ms. Hearst's publicist, who stressed that he only represents Ms. Hearst, not the whole family, the Hearst bunch is in fact very supportive of her modeling gigs. Nude or not. 

"Her family is very close and has always been very supportive of Lydia," wrote Ms. Hearst's publicist in an email to Daily Transom. "French Playboy is very prestigious and they frequently do supermodels and actresses for covers/spreads."

He then added, "Her family is very sophisticated!"  read more »

As we learned from the Village Voice's Michael Musto, Liam McMullan, whom The Observer's Spencer Morgan profiled in June, will be replacing Lydia Hearst as a columnist for Page Six Magazine. We gave Mr. McMullan, son of nightlife photographer Patrick McMullan, a call to find out what we could expect from the weekly dispatch, the first installment of which—a chronicle of his Halloween activities featuring a stop at the Accompanied Literary Society's masquerade—has already been filed.

"It's going to be more about what I see than what I do," he said. "Anyone who thinks I'm even the least bit entertaining, the least bit interesting, I'll give them a little more insight into how I feel about things.  read more »

In 2003, Britney Spears wore a cut-up baby T (remember those?) with the words "Page Six Six Six" stretched tightly across her chest and showing off her pierced navel. The outfit was a protest against the New York Post gossip column by which she felt burned time and time again.

The celebrity and socialite worlds have since seemed to adjust to Page Six's often chilly, sometimes ruthless, items about their love lives and family scandals. But Lydia Hearst, who this past week got into a public dispute with the Post about what was or wasn't fabricated in her Page Six Magazine column, "The Hearst Chronicles," felt it was time to take a stand. And as part of her public retaliation, Ms. Hearst decided to wear the same T-shirt, though seemingly smaller, over a bejeweled bathing suit top while gnawing on an issue of The New York Post.

Yesterday, Lydia Hearst resigned from Page Six Magazine due to what she claimed was a fabrication that appeared in her column, The Hearst Chronicles, on Sunday.

In the column, "Blood Dispute," it seemed as though Ms. Hearst was turning on her family's empire:

Hearst Corporation, which my family owns, continues to host parties even as it folds magazines like CosmoGirl. From an objective point of view, it seems excessive. The crash in the '80s was a blip compared to what's happening now, so it's going to come as a shock when this trickles up into high society. At least Hearst recently canceled the company Christmas bash. It's time to work through this crisis, not party through it.

Yesterday afternoon, the Daily Transom received a letter from the socialite claiming that she never wrote the above statement.  read more »

In her column in Page Six Magazine this week, socialite Lydia Hearst declares a 'shame on you' on her fellow socialites for continuing to party and worry about their wardrobes despite the current state of the economy. And while on the subject, Ms. Hearst even turns on her own family's empire:

Hearst Corporation, which my family owns, continues to host parties even as it folds magazines like CosmoGirl. From an objective point of view, it seems excessive. The crash in the '80s was a blip compared to what's happening now, so it's going to come as a shock when this trickles up into high society.

 read more »

Angelina Jolie has trained her brood well. She told Italian Vanity Fair, "I am still restless, but do you know that my kids are the same way? We were in France these last few months and after a while they started asking when we could get back on a plane." [R&M]

Imported socialite Peaches Geldof, who recently implied that she and Chester French's Max Drummey would likely divorce, got close to Donald Cummings of The Virgins at a V Magazine event. [P6]

Meanwhile, homegrown socialite Lydia Hearst is glad the family business cancelled its annual Christmas party: "It's time to work through this [financial] crisis, not party through it." [P6]  read more »

“I have zero investments, for better or for worse,” said 26-year-old Ben Zoltowski, a senior print project manager at the advertising agency McCann Erickson. “I feel like New York is already difficult enough to live in financially! I’m used to living paycheck to paycheck and living frugally, because we sort of have to. Most of us have to!”

Mr. Zoltowski, who lives in Williamsburg, went to Ithaca College and graduated in 2003; he moved to New York in July 2006. Like most of his peers, he seems to think that things can’t really get any worse, because he’s already living hand-to-mouth! But it probably hasn’t dawned on him that he might not even be able to afford last call at Greenpoint Tavern when all this shakes out.  read more »

Chace Crawford is no East Coast elitist! The Gossip Girl star told reporters that Sarah Palin is "quite attractive" before refusing to "talk politics." [US Weekly]

Lydia Hearst is expected to continue with Fashion Week, despite being sent to the hospital for kidney stones on Tuesday. [P6] 

Reality show queen Lauren Conrad will be writing a series of three young adult novels for HarperCollins about "a girl who moves to LA and stars in a reality show." Hopefully the kids don't take it too seriously. [People]   read more »

As far as Fashion Week parties go, Thursday night's Interview magazine relaunch party at the yet-to-be finished Standard Hotel in the meatpacking district will be hard to top. The Standard is still a construction zone—exposed wire, plywood laid down for walkways, DJs in hard hats—and the effect was very much early '90s East Berlin, except for all the New York darlings wandering around, thrilled at the prospect of a new party venue.

Arden Wohl was there. Donna Karan was there. Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen made an appearance, as did model Jessica Stam, author Tama Janowitz, real estate developer Janna Bullock, socialite Stella Schnabel, and actresses Mary-Kate Olsen and Lauren Hutton.  read more »

On Thursday evening, a crowd of very well-dressed people gathered at the private club Norwood on West 14th Street for cocktails and a screening of a film directed by Tara Subkoff to promote her new line for Bebe. The film—"inspired from my favorite film noirs from back in the day," Ms. Subkoff told us—starred model Lydia Hearst, whom we found upstairs posing for photos on a white chaise alongside Ms. Subkoff.

We asked Ms. Hearst about her plans during Fashion Week. "I'm doing the full circuit this year, so I'm excited—it's amazing to go out, to get dressed up every night," she said.  read more »

Despite selling off Imitation of Christ last year, the label she founded with Matthew Damhave, actress and fashion designer Tara Subkoff continues to be a presence during fashion week. (Even when she's not making topless models push vacuum cleaners across the floor.)

On Thursday, September 4, Ms. Subkoff will screen her third short film, Fame Fatale at Norwood, which she made for Bebe. The film stars Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day and socialite Lydia Hearst. (In the film, Ms. Hearst is wearing Ms. Subkoff's collection for Bebe.)

Ms. Hearst will co-host the screening and Arden Wohl is expected to attend. Of Ms. Hearst, Ms.  read more »

Aubrey O'Day, of Hairspray and Making the Band fame, will walk in Richie Rich's show for Hot Topic. Ms. O'Day also shot an ad campaign for the line with Lydia Hearst. [The Cut]

Rosanna Arquette was reportedly the friend who discovered make-up artist Paul Starr's body in his apartment on Tuesday. [Vogue UK]

Celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch has an advantage over Rachel Zoe because his new reality show on VH1 called Glam God With Vivica A. Fox, premiered last night, 18 days ahead of Ms. Zoe's Bravo show that will premiere on September 8. [WWD]

Meanwhile, Ms. Zoe said that her styling vision is significantly inspired by old Hollywood films. [WSJ]

Agyness Deyn is switching from DNA to Women Managament, but DNA will still represent her through the fall shows. [Fashionista]

Olympian Shawn Johnson is "addicted" to True Religion jeans. [WWD]

Last night, socialite, sometime Gossip Girl, and new face of Myla Lingerie Lydia Hearst hosted a cocktail party and fashion show to celebrate Freshpair.com's 6th Annual National Underwear day. (Every other day of the year is apparently not underwear day!) 

Also in attendance at Espace were Russell Simmons and designers Izzy Gold and Richie Rich, as well as a bevy of reality television habitues: Elle contributing editor and America's Next Top Model judge Nole Marin, Ben DiChiara of Bravo's Make Me A Supermodel, and Real Housewives of New York City stars and co-dependent couple Alex McCord and Simon van Kempens.  read more »

Marc Jacobs and boyfriend Lorenzo Martone—whom we still think are not married—vacationed in Ibiza with Kate Moss and her mom, Linda. Ms. Moss's daughter, Lila Grace, was on hand to snap the party photos. [Fashionologie via The Cut]

Diane von Furstenberg is teaming up with the Andy Warhol Foundation to create a resort 2008 and pre-spring 2009 collections of swimwear and other pieces featuring the artist's prints. [WWD]

Eva Mendes is pleased that her topless video ad for Calvin Klein has been banned in the U.S. (And yes, click through to see the titillating video.) [The Sun]  read more »

The creative director of Myla, an upscale lingerie brand, said the company chose Lydia Hearst to pose in ads because of her "amazing dynamic energy coupled with an intelligent sexuality." Or perhaps it's because photos of New York socialites posing in garter belts will get you to click through. [NY Daily News]

Alex Rodriguez is scheduled to file papers today in Miami-Dade Circuit Court asking that the prenuptial agreement between him and estranged wife Cynthia Rodriguez be enforced and charges of his extramarital affairs be removed from the record. [NY Daily News]  read more »

The fashion industry has developed a thing for barn animals.

Despite Lydia Hearst's misleading Facebook profile updates indicating that she has gotten engaged to Matt Rains, Heathrette designer Trevor Rains' brother, her publicist tells the Daily Transom that she is not engaged. In an email, Alan Rish wrote:  read more »

According to her Facebook profile, Lydia Hearst is engaged! After just one week of dating Matt Rains, Trevor Rains' brother, the twinkly-eyed socialite posted the update: "Lydia Marie Hearst Shaw went from being 'it's complicated' to 'engaged.' [Daily Intel]  read more »

Kristin Davis, whose character on Sex and the City downs Cosmos, often gets sent the cocktail at restaurants, but never drinks them because she is a recovering alcoholic. [P6]

More secret weddings! Jessica Alba and her longtime boyfriend, Cash Warren, wed on Monday before the arrival of their first child. [NY Daily News]  read more »

Graydon Carter gets the full Devil Wears Prada treatment in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, a movie based on Toby Young's subtly titled book about his experiences working at Vanity Fair. In the film, the editor-in-chief is played by Jeff Bridges and named Clayton Harding. [P6]

Lydia Hearst says that GG's Michelle Trachtenberg is her BFF while wearing nipple tassels.  read more »

Lindsay Lohan doesn't want her "girlfriend," Sam Ronson, talking to people, gets upset when she ignores her. [P6]

Lydia Hearst will reportedly make an appearance on Gossip Girl! Lydia Hearst on Gossip Girl! [P6]  read more »

The Observer's version of March Madness entered a new phase at midnight last night when votes were tabulated for the Final Four face-off in our Socialite Slapdown contest.

The contest—which gained a bit of heat last week when Page Six reported on socialites' efforts to stack the votes in their favor—closes with four finalists: Publishing heiress, model and bag-designer Lydia Hearst faces off against socialite/style writer Derek Blasberg, and Lauren Davis, socialite and Vogue editor, faces off against Peter Davis, the mocialite-loving ... style writer!  read more »

The recently married publishing heiress Gillian Hearst-Shaw has closed on a condo in the 41-story Midtown building where her sister Lydia lives. Ms. Shaw paid $1.65 million for a 32nd-floor apartment in the Sheffield building at 322 West 57th Street, city records show. The Sheffield is just a stone's throw from Hearst's corporate headquarters and the offices of Town and Country magazine, where Ms. Hearst-Shaw has worked as an editorial assistant for over a year since her reality show was not picked up.  read more »

Lydia Hearst, the comely, blonde 23-year-old model and heiress, has bought her first apartment. According to city records filed today, she spent $1.49 million in late December for a high-floor apartment at Sheffield57.

Why did she choose a midtown condo conversion instead of, say, a Village studio? “You know, I do love being downtown,” she told The Observer from Hollywood, “but 57th Street? You have Central Park, and it sort of feels like the real Manhattan, at least the way Manhattan looks in the movies... And, of course, it’s right next-door to the Hearst Corporation,” the triangle-paneled new tower designed by Sir Norman Foster, built above the six-story structure that Ms. Hearst’s maternal great-grandfather, William Randolph Hearst, finished 80 years ago.  read more »

On a sunny Tuesday morning in early January, a strange noise was echoing through Ally Hilfiger’s apartment, a one-bedroom condo located in the faddish badlands of SoHo’s western frontier. “It’s the tailor,” said Ms. Hilfiger, motioning toward a closed door from her cozy perch on a white Art Deco love seat.

Before the interruption, Ms. Hilfiger, the 22-year-old daughter of the designer Tommy Hilfiger who herself dabbles in design and fine arts, had been describing a sentiment she shares with a small subset of female New Yorkers: women who are born of wealth, committed to various charitable causes and creative pursuits, but who claim they are weary of the flash of Patrick McMullan’s cameras, in search of a more … bohemian sensibility. These are not Upper East Siders with pageboys and pearl chokers, sitting on museum boards but living below 14th Street, in their own Petit Hameaux replete with easels, dress forms or turntables.  read more »

Though the L.A.-based designer of Rock & Republic, Michael Ball, has expressed disdain for the Bryant Park tents in the past, he had no problem showing there on Saturday, Feb. 2.  read more »

The Michael Awards—the big black-tie fashion-industry smoochfest that gives out awards and raises money for the National Children's Leukemia Foundation—won’t be held until May 7th, but at this early date! The Transom can now exclusively reveal 2007’s model of the year: Lydia Hearst.

“It’s basically the Oscars of fashion,” she said, while picking away at a lobster roll yesterday at a café in the Time Warner Center.

Okay so, had she prepared her speech?  read more »

Heiress and socialite Lydia Hearst, who had been linked with musician Cisco Adler, has a new man.  read more »

For those who may have missed yesterday’s Page Six Magazine, here follows a quick rundown of some of the issue’s highlights:

Just when it started to seem like fresh book ideas from eager-beaver magazine assistants had all been exhausted, Anna Godberson burst upon the literary scene. The 27-year-old writer from Berkeley, Calif., who was an assistant to a literary editor at Esquire for four years after graduating from Barnard, has landed her new teen novel, The Luxe, on the Times best-seller list. Ms. Godberson’s novel, about a teen socialite at the turn of the 20th Century, has allegedly attracted interest “from TV producers, leading to whispers that it could be the next Gossip Girl.”  read more »

An awful lot has already been made of the catty feud between Designers for Darfur’s Malcolm Harris (a.k.a. Malcolm Sirrah, à la Oprah/Harpo) and model-heiress Lydia Hearst. Here’s more! Mr. Harris just wrote a lengthy letter to Gawker responding to today’s news, which suggests that he put Ms. Hearst’s name on his party invitations without her consent. (In short, the letter states that Ms. Hearst, whom he calls a fellow co-founder of the organization, agreed to the terms of his deal. “Lydia and I both have always known the deal - the trade was simple - we do "all" the real work and you use your name to promote the events,” he writes in the nearly-500-word epistle.)

We asked Ms. Hearst for a comment, but she had none. Instead, she said, she plans to write about it in her Page Six Magazine column in two weeks.

We did, however, get a comment from a source very close to the 23-year-old lovely.

“She did the first party; it was a lot of work and it wasn’t well organized enough,” the insider said of the kickoff fête. Held on the last day of last year’s Fashion Week, Mr. Harris apparently told Ms. Hearst that it was going to be held in the Bryant Park tents, but it ended up being at midtown nightclub Roseland Ballroom. “He was saying, ‘George Clooney this and Angelina Jolie that,’ but it ended up being just Lydia having to do all the interviews alone.” For a subsequent party, the source said, Mr. Harris told Ms. Hearst it would be held at the Gramercy Hotel with Anderson Cooper. After she sent her regrets, saying she was unable to attend, he allegedly kept her name on the press materials and invitations for the shindig—oh, and it was actually held at Club Runway at 2 a.m. and 100% Anderson-Cooper-free. “These events started out with a great idea but ended up at 27th street clubs, so she didn’t think it was doing any good, especially for people in Darfur,” the source added. “She just wants to get over it and go on to the future. Lydia didn’t mean to cause anyone any upset or harm. [Mr. Harris] thinks if you’re against him, you’re against Darfur. She just didn’t want to be associated with his association. He’s not Darfur.”

Those kooky new Trojan condom commercials on TV, which magically turn a dirty hog into a beddable dude after he picks up a condom, may work for some people—like, for example, the frat boys who regularly recognize Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively on the street. But when it's time to recruit a more well-heeled consumer to the joys of Trojans, Gillian Hearst-Shaw is the lady for the job.

“Before I was married, I was very picky and selective about who I chose to get intimate with,” she told The Daily Transom at a recent dinner party benefiting ACRIA, an AIDS charity.  read more »

We just had breakfast with Lydia Hearst at the Puma store on Union Square West, where the 23-year-old socialite-model was introducing a bag she has recently designed for the athletic gear company. The heavily-zippered tote, which is offered in both pewter and black-and-blue, also features a large metal carabineer. This addition, according to the press release, reflects “Lydia Hearst’s luxurious but playful style.”

Wearing a tiny gray Hervé Léger dress—luxurious but playful, to be sure—under a black leather jacket, Ms. Hearst came in sporting a new bright blonde do. (She apparently had to dye her beeline locks for a commercial she’s shooting this weekend in London, but for what or whom, she couldn’t say.) “I’ve actually been working on this project for about six months now. I was in London and I just had tons and tons of materials. I wanted something that felt very similar to leather, but at the same time was green and affordable for everybody,” she said of the $125 carryall, which, indeed, looks something like patent leather, but feels like plastic. (This marks the second bag Ms. Hearst has designed for Puma; the first, a similarly shaped number, is called French 77 Racket Bag.)  read more »

In today’s Observer, Spencer Morgan profiles publishing heiress Lydia Hearst.

“I always keep my legs together and wear underwear,” she tells Spencer. “I’m a lot more conservative than the Hollywood counterparts are. I’m an East Coast girl.”

Follow the link below for Lydia on clothes, food, sleep, and what it's like to be a Hearst.

Lydia Unleashed [NYO]

The great-granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst drinks beer, eats meat and walks barefoot on bearskin.  read more »

Looking through Lydia Hearst's column in Page Six Magazine this weekend might have brought on a case of deja vu. In an item titled "Craziness at Cavalli," the magazines model-heiress diarist writes:

Last week, [Ed.: emphasis added] I flew from New York to Florence with three other models—Jessica Stam, Theodora Richards and Erin Wasson—to shoot the Roberto Cavalli for H&M ad campaign. It was surreal.  read more »

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On Monday, July 30, the Transom caught up with model-socialite Lydia Hearst at the Angels & Kings bar in the East Village, where she was judging an American Idol-esque event called Karaoke on the Rocks. “I love karaoke!  read more »