Tinsley Mortimer

Tinsley Mortimer (née Tinsley Randolph Mercer born August 11, 1976) is an American socialite and fashion entrepreneur. She is known as "one of the most famous faces of the New York scene" and a "much photographed" socialite. 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 (née Tatum), an interior designer. Her paternal grandfather, George Riley Mercer Sr., founded Mercer Rug Cleansing in 1936. Mortimer is reportedly a descendant of Thomas Jefferson (on her mother's side) and relatives of Patrick Henry and James Madison (on her father's side). 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.