Tinsley Mortimer Biography

Birth Name : Tinsley Randolph Mercer

Date of Birth : 11 August 1976, Richmond, Virginia, USA

Nationality : American

Known for : Reality show High Society

Mortimer was born in Virginia. and grew up in Richmond, VA. Her father is George Riley Mercer Jr., a real-estate investor, and her mother is Dale Mercer, an interior designer. Her paternal grandfather, George Riley Mercer Sr., founded Mercer Rug Cleansing in 1936. Mortimer is reportedly a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and relatives of Patrick Henry and James Madison. She grew up with one sister, Dabney Mercer. Mortimer attended the Lawrenceville School, where she was a member of the Kirby House. She went to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, before transferring to Columbia University, where she was a member of St. Anthony Hall. She graduated from Columbia with a BA in art history.

Her husband's family is considered one of New York's oldest. They are descended from the colonial leader Robert Livingston; John Jay, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court; and Henry Morgan Tilford, a former president of Standard Oil of California.

Tinsley is considered the most visible and photographed socialite in New York. Her handbag line, Samantha Thavasa by Tinsley Mortimer, debuted in winter 2006 with its American flagship store on the Upper East Side. In summer 2007, she became the beauty ambassador of Christian Dior. In fall 2007, she introduced her first clothing collection, Riccimie by Tinsley Mortimer, sold exclusively in Japan.