The BupGrade Ten:  One person.  Ten minutes.  Ten Questions.  5 of the same.  5 new.  A final BupGrade recommendation.

Who is Malik Sterling?  Socialite, hustler, It Boy on the rise.  He goes to all the parties you can’t, and like every good socialite,he just recorded a single.

BG: Who are you and what do you do?
MS: My name is Malik Sterling.  I am a party boy in New York, I’m a party promoter, I do events, I do a little bit of styling, and I’m working on a blog.  My main interests are nightlife and social life in New York City.

BG: Who do you have a crush on?
MS: Perez Hilton, because I think he’s a genius, and I know that he’s not like a typical hot, attractive guy, but I’m attracted to his ruthless, unapologetic self-promotion and drive.

BG: What makes your toes curl?
MS: My toes curl? Chinese food after midnight, and a good massage.

BG: What are you addicted to?
MS: Right now, I’m addicted to glasses- but they’ve always been something that I’ve loved.  Also, I’m not wearing one right now, but bowties:  I’ve been collecting bowties nonstop.  And I love all of the Lanvin glasses.  I don’t have any yet, but I want to start collecting those as well.

BG: If you had to go to Mars tomorrow for the next 3 years, and could only take 2 people and three things, who and what would you take, and why?
MS: I would take my mom, Dorothy Sterling.  I would take my best friend, Humberto Petit.  And the three things I would take would be my cell phone, even though no one would be calling me:  I would still need it, and hopefully I could check my Facebook page. And I would take a camera, and a dog, which I don’t own.  But I would definitely try to buy one or get one before I left.

BG:  Who are you really?  Right now, you have your “Malik So Chic” glasses on.  Is this your alter ego, or is this you 24/7?
MS: Well, it depends on my mood.  Its what I do publically—like if I ever go in public to an event, or if I’m working, or something like that, I’m always in character.   Basically, it’s just an extension of myself.  My glasses make me feel a lot more confident.  They’re like a cape:  it’s like Superman and his cape, you know? But yeah, most days, if I’m dressed, I’m dressed.

BG: You’ve appeared on socialite pages, you’re at these super exclusive parties, and you’re mentioned in Page Six.  How did you, a good midwestern boy, make it here?
MS: Well, I slept with . . . (laughs).  No . . . well, I don’t know.  I’m from Ohio.  When I first moved to New York, I was very interested in the club kid culture—the whole Heatherette scene, Amanda Lepore and all those people.  And I actually became friends with those people.  And that whole scene  showed me a little bit of New York, and then I became fascinated with New York nightlife.  And basically I started off by, when I was working at V, stealing all the editor’s invites.  I just started crashing parties, and eventually I started getting invited after they saw me. And I still do crash the majority of the parties that I go to.  But you know—they love it.

BG: Do you think that your image have a lot to do with your rapidly ascending status in NYC?
MS: Yeah, absolutely.  It’s about creating a fantasy, and creating some sort of intrigue and mystique, and I feel like it was all kind of accidental.  I mean, I definitely sought it out.  I definitely wanted to be someone that was known for something.  And I’m still working at having a legitimate fashion whatever [laughs].  But this is the first step for me.  It’s going to be something that’s going to hopefully take it to the next level.  So basically, it’s all about an image, and it’s all about a consistent branding.

BG: So, taking it back a little bit.  You went to Clark Atlanta University, an HBCU.  What was that climate like being you? Were you different?
MS: I was definitely me.  My style was not as chic, but I was still pretty extreme, but in a different way.  When I was at Clark, I was very preppy.  And I still do think that I’m kind of preppy, but in a more extravagant way.  There, I was wearing like Ferragamos and skinny ties instead of my bow ties; I was wearing sunglasses instead of glasses with no lenses. But I was still kind of out there compared to the other boys. I definitely was into color more, and now I’m more into chic prints. When I went to London for my study abroad, I really got more comfortable with my own sense of style.

BG: So what’s next for you? What can we expect of Malik Sterling in the next 5 years?
MS: Well, I’m working on a blog.  About fashion, New York nightlife and socialites.  Its going to basically be a fashion rank amongst the Who’s Who in New York, including editors, fashion people, and A-list celebrities.  I also want to start doing fashion commentary- I’m working with Fame TV, which is Tommy Hilfiger’s new online-to-mainstream channel.  I’m going to be one of the fashion correspondents on there.  And I’m just hustling, you know? Every day I’m hustling.  I just recorded a single, called “The Stall”.  It’s rap-singing.  It has similar sounds to Gwen Stefani or Missy Elliot, but more rock/hip-hop.  Hopefully I’ll start performing it in upcoming months.

BG: Who or what needs a BupGrade?
MS: Eva Longoria, because she makes so much money and always manages to look cheap.