Olympia and Fiona Scarry

Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis

Bianca Brandolini

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In the winter issue of V Magazine, gifted photographer Matthu Placek shot the seven female pillars of culture of New York City and their respective posses in a series called “Social Studies.” These include fashion designer Tinsley Mortimer, actresses Stella Schnabel and Margherita Missoni, and the Art Production Fund’s Yvonne Force Villareal. (Click on the above pictures to view larger, higher-quality versions.)

Tinsley was photographed at the St. Regis Hotel, near her home turf of the Upper East Side. Her BlackBerry-buzzing peer group includes her sister Dabney Mercer, designer Lily Maddock of Paddock Pants, attorney Alexandra Osipow, Earnest Sewn co-founder and PR director Eleanor Ylvisaker, Dolce & Gabbana celebrity PR director Ali Wise, and Maria Luisa Leviant of the Latin American Health Foundation.

In the accompanying text, Tinsley explains how she met her friends: “My sister I’ve known her entire life. The rest of the girls I met in New York. I’ve known Eleanor for over a decade and a half; I met Ali when I was working at Harrison & Shriftman; Alex through friends; and Lily and Maria Luisa are married to two of my husband’s best friends [Locke Maddock and Sasha Leviant].” Her favorites places to hang out in New York include the bars of the Mercer, Gramercy Park, and Plaza Athénée hotels and her best bets for dining are Bobo, Le Charlot, and Sant Ambroeus.

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These are pictures from Tinsley Mortimer’s new autumn/winter Japanese ad campaign for Samantha Thavasa, which were shot at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. She’s wearing clothes from her Riccimie by Tinsley Mortimer line and carrying bags from her own handbag line for Samantha Thavasa. Tinsley is currently hard at work designing her dual spring collections. The lifestyle entrepreneur just finished a photoshoot for O, The Oprah Magazine.

In the first photograph, Tinsley is carrying the “Lily” clutch, which is named after her close friend, Palm Beach socialite Lily Maddock. Lily and her husband, Locke, are happily expecting their first child in March of next year.

Tinsley Mortimer is on The CW again, following her cameo appearances on the network’s hit series, Gossip Girl. She is featured on the channel’s NY Residential program, where she highlighted her new responsibilities as the lifestyle director of B+B Investment Group, the New York-based real estate development firm founded by Ilan Bracha. He first learned about Tinsley through her cover profile in Page Six magazine, in which she promoted her editorial contribution to “The Park Avenue Diet.”

In the video clip, Tinsley showcases the minimalist interiors she designed for the company’s Trump Tower office spaces. The socialite will also develop the interiors of B+B’s new venture on West 57th Street, near Fifth Avenue, which includes luxury condominiums, retail spaces, and a boutique hotel. (Click on the picture above to access it.)

The CW’s footage includes clips from the Saks Fifth Avenue launch of her Tinsley Pink lip gloss for Dior Beauty, where she signed autographs for her fans, and an event she attended on behalf of Operation Smile, her charity of choice, with Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr.

They also showcase pictures from Tinsley’s childhood, with her sister Dabney Mercer; of her mother, the interior designer and Harvard graduate student Dale Tatum Mercer; on the tennis courts as a teenager, when she was a nationally ranked player; leading the Bal du Bois at the Country Club of Virginia (on the arm of her father, businessman George R. Mercer Jr.), and a shot from her Richmond wedding to Topper Mortimer.

Video courtesy of WPIX/The CW 11 New York.

Socialite Minnie Mortimer has been a fixture on the front rows of Fashion Week since she was a teenager. It was only a brief matter of time until she started designing clothes herself, following in the footsteps of her sister-in-law, handbag and clothing designer Tinsley Mortimer.

The anchor of Minnie’s very first collection is her signature shirt-dress. They are made of high-quality cotton and Minnie alone is responsible for the designs. All of the pieces are made in Orange County, California where Minnie is able to oversee their production.

Her line consists of few items right now, including boxers, but a full series of her work will be available for spring/summer 2009. In a couple of weeks, Minnie will also present even more new pieces named after her dear friends and loved ones, including a “Tinsley” dress and a “Dabney” top, the latter of which is named after Tinsley’s sister, Dabney Mercer.

Today is Minnie’s online launch and you can see more of her designs and purchase pieces at her official website. They will also be available at JoliKa, the French boutique that opens today and is owned by Jules Kirby, her friend since their days together at the Indian Mountain School.

All photographs © Minnie Mortimer.