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I don’t care how seasoned of a party host you think you are: we can all learn something from the consummate host of Bel Air, Kathy Hilton. The iconic American socialite and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member is known for throwing parties that are both lavish and fun (spotted at one of her four holiday fêtes this season, a kilo of caviar on ice—and donut holes from Dunkin’). While the in-house Moet vending machine is certainly a perk, it’s the decorum with which she welcomes people into her home that makes a lasting impression.
“When people are coming into your home, it’s important to make them feel welcome: I make sure that they have something to drink, enough to eat, and that they’re getting to know new people outside of their circle of friends,” Hilton says. “From when I was little, I was taught to always introduce people to one another. You never know who has or hasn’t met before, and I want people to feel really good and have a great experience.”
At these parties, Hilton has also proven to be an expert gift giver. (She has a claw crane machine that dispenses jewelry, if you can believe it.) Ahead, she shares her favorite gifts for giving to friends, family, and fellow partygoers.
“Giving something like skin care can be hard, because people have sensitive skin. But I have given a couple of Lyma Lasers,” Hilton says of the at-home wand that emits low-level light therapy (LLLT) to trigger tissue repair and healing at a cellular level (which in turn can help address fine lines and acne scars). “It really does tighten [and] firm,” she says.
“I’ve been given more massage gift certificates than you can imagine. And guess what? I don’t know where they are,” Hilton says. “But I’d love to get (or give) a beautiful vase. Saks has the best gift department and a big selection of Baccarat crystal, which is my crystal of choice. It’s not overly gaudy or busy in the way that it’s cut. The lines are cleaner and sleeker.”
In her second collaboration with Printfresh, Hilton made a holiday gifting classic (pajamas) even more irresistible by covering them with the only household members who don’t get on our nerves come winter break. “My daughter Nicky (Hilton Rothschild) is on the board of Animal Haven, and I’m involved with Camp Cocker Rescue, so we created two prints (one with dogs and one with cats,) and all the money raised benefits the two organizations,” she says of the sleepwear collaboration. “All of my dogs and Nicky’s dog are represented in the one print (poodles, a mixed dog, a chihuahua). Nicky is a cat girl, so her print is filled with cats.”
“I always take a throw when I travel with me, then I have it cleaned when I get to the hotel. I think it’s a great gift and Hermes has nice ones,” Hilton says, adding that she would never give the brand’s most ubiquitous design. “My husband's in real estate, so I see [plenty of] staged homes and a always joke, ‘If see another H blanket or an H pillow ...’”
Instead, she suggests giving a less obvious design. “They have some really soft cashmere ones now with fringe that I just saw while in Paris, and they're very cozy.” If buying from the luxury house is not in your budget, try a more affordable option (with a little heart). This pure cashmere option is produced by a company that offers fair profits for Mongolian shepherds.
“Okay, this is cubic zirconia, but made with a crystalline, so it’s really sparkly,” Hilton says of the demi-fine jewelry that coats cubic zirconia with tiny particles of lab-grown diamonds for a diamond alternative that’s less likely to cloud. “Both my daughters went crazy over it. We do asher, princess, emerald cuts that you would find in fine jewelry. Plus, if you lose it (or somebody wants to take it from you) it’s not a huge deal.”
“This year, I gave every one of my friends one of the hats I did in collaboration with my friend Lorna Murray because it’s something useful that people don't have and haven't seen. These have been very big over in San Tropez and St. Barts—that's the first place I had seen them,” Hilton says, who designed very ‘Palm Royale’ prints for the brand. “They collapse, are foldable, and make you look a little taller because of the way they sit on your head. They come in a cute little cotton bag with a bow, so they're easy to throw in a stocking or travel bag.”
Hilton is all about pomegranates during the holiday season, and this one is no different. While entertaining this month, she has used them with flora to tablescape centerpieces. She froze the fruit’s seeds in ice for celebratory drinks, and tapped the juice to make a mean pontini.
For the housewife fanatic (or friend who’s finally over espresso martinis), why not give a cocktail kit filled with everything needed to make Hilton’s signature holiday libation? “I start with a little Belvedere Vodka, add pomegranate juice and a little Saratoga Sparkling Spring Water, because it really seems to fizz more than a lot of the other drinks,” she says. “Then I add a few pomegranate arils, and I’m good to go.”
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