today’s socialites work hard!
http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2007/06/19/what-do-socialites-do-all-day/
June 19, 2007, 11:03 am What Do Socialites Do All Day? Socialites used to be just socialites.
They lunched. They threw parties. They shopped. And they kept lists =97 =
A-lists and B-lists, and lists of people who could never make the lists.
But in today=92s new-money world, with millions of freshly minted, =
constantly striving millionaires, socialites want more. They=92re no =
longer content with being ladies of leisure =97 they have to be =
hyperachieving ladies of leisure.
Perhaps it=92s the Paris Hilton effect, with more and more people =
trying to turn the business of being an heiress (or heir) into a =
business. Or maybe it=92s an attempt to stay relevant in a world where =
the idle rich are being replaced by the workaholic wealthy and =
everyone has to have their own company =97 or at least their own =
business card. (Even if it says Mrs. Mary Smith =97 Philanthropist, =
Birkin Bag expert.)
In the Old Money days, socialites introduced themselves quietly, as =
=93Mrs. Astor=94 or =93Ms. Dupont=94 and left it at that. Today, when you =
meet a young socialite, they inevitably start pitching their latest =
book, jewelry, fragrance, interior-design business or new line of =
imported 800-thread-count, French linen baby bibs.
To prove just how busy they are, some socialites have even started =
publishing their busy schedules in the media. I found this =
fascinating example in Gotham magazine. It=92s an hour-by hour schedule =
for Fabiola Beracasa, daughter of banking magnate Alfredo Beracasa =
and Veronica Hearst. (Her late stepfather was Randolph A. Hearst.)
Fabiola, the article seeks to prove, doesn=92t just host charity =
events, pose for society pictures and =93dance atop the occasional =
banquette.=94 She also works hard at running her own companies =97 like =
the one that buys jewelry from down-on-their-luck socialites.
So after waking up at 7:30, Fabiola works out with her personal =
trainer. Then she does two and a half hours of work, which seems to =
involve talking to people about jewelry. It=92s then off to lunch at Le =
Bernadin =97 for two hours (since she decided to =93splurge=94 and have =
dessert).
More work follows, which includes doing an interview for Vogue and =
picking out a set of diamond earrings to donate to New Yorkers for =
Children. Finally, at 6:15, it=92s off to the hair stylist and out to =
dinner and the bar.
Who says today=92s socialites don=92t work hard?