Gossip Girls Redefined: New York’s Debutantes
The Gossip Girl TV series has left viewers from across the globe open-mouthed. The lives and loves of a collection of impossibly beautiful, outrageously wealthy and undeniably fascinating teens is the stuff of fantasy for most of us.
Gossip Girls’ Upper East Siders have the day-to-day lives that most of us can only dream about, yet this is not a dream – there are a few lucky women out there who wake up each morning in this prestigious world.
Quietly and unassumingly groups of young eligible women were entering New Yorks elite whilst on-screen Serena and Blair were leaving us in awe as they were welcomed into a brave new world.
Wealthy, accomplished and better connected than Bill Clinton’s little black book, the latest clutch of debutantes included a German countess, a direct descendant of two signers of the Declaration of Independence and a published author.
One of these debutantes is Miss Nagel, who officially entered society on December 29th last year, she is the remarkable young woman who is all of those things and more. It is claimed that the character of Serena van der Woodsen in the hit Gossip Girl series is loosely based on the precocious Miss Nagel.
19 year old Hadley received a dedication from Cecily von Ziegesar the Gossip Girl author, whose books were used as the inspiration for the TV series..
“To Hadley, the real thing,” Cecily wrote. “I hope you don’t mind being hassled about being the model for Serena…Sounds like you’re doing a lot more important things than Serena ever did, and more beautiful too.”
One of the many ‘important things’ is her high profile work to gain official recognition for James Madison, one of the founding fathers, in the form of an federal monument.
It could be argued that the young socialite with have enough on her plate with helping James Madison gain recognition, and maintain a hectic social life but she also found the time to become Americas youngest registered lobbyist.
Haley Nagel might have access to the wealth and luxuries of the Gossip Girl characters, but apart from the wealth, it is hard to draw similarities.
Nagel has pushed the fact she wants to be an independent young woman who relies not on her family history but on her on determination.
Speaking to the New York Times recently she played down her aristocratic pedigree and it is fitting that the last words are hers.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Nagel said. “I think you impress people more with your talents, with you are.”
Banned Books Readout 2009 – Interview with Cecily von Ziegesar
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Cecily von Ziegesar … |
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