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That category of New Yorker is known above all for its sameness, and no one I spoke to could identify precisely what set Williams apart\u2014what delicate mix of aspiration and relatability she had concocted\u2014but I heard some guesses. \u201cI mean, unfortunately, a lot of it is kind of opening yourself up to parasocial relationships,\u201d says Lex Decker, a Manhattan creator of gluten-free content who also works in influencer marketing. \u201cI think the success is making people feel like they know you and are your friend. And that could be really invasive at times when people come to you with these things. I have people that DM me about their date and they live in Georgia, and I\u2019m like, Okay, congrats, but I don\u2019t really care.\u201d<\/p>\n
From a young age, Williams took an interest in \u201980s and \u201990s nightlife: Polaroids, Dash Snow, Mario Sorrenti. \u201cYou could see in the photos that the people were living,\u201d she said. Part of what she wanted to do with her platform was to show post-COVID nightlife doomsayers that \u201cyou can still have these fun experiences,\u201d she said. \u201cNew York is not dead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, as much as she loved the documentary Studio 54,<\/em> she figured a club offering such high-glamour debauchery wouldn\u2019t be possible now\u2014or for more than a few days, at least, until it was overexposed. \u201cYeah, you can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n The next phase of Williams\u2019s arc\u2014\u201cEllie for the Girls 2.0,\u201d as she put it\u2014will focus on microtargeting. \u201cI\u2019ve been playing around with making the interview hooks niche,\u201d she said. \u201cWhere are the cool creative girls going?\u201d (Tigre, a cocktail lounge on the Lower East Side.) \u201cWhere are the Australians in finance going?\u201d (Old Mates Pub in the South Street Seaport.) \u201cAnd that immediately hooks someone in to be like, Okay, if I like Australians in finance, I want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n