It is a bit of an idiom, meaning "of the people". I think it means that he is socialite i.e. a member of high society, always going to parties, must be seen in the right places with the right people. (Does this fit with the character in the book?) This is not a common thing to say today, as (to me) it sounds quite posh, upper class, and a little old fashioned. I can only imagine this being said by someone in the British upper classes!
There is a similar expression: "he is a people person", or (rare to hear in practice) in plural "they are people people" (i.e. no " 's " on the first "people"). This has a different meaning. It means someone who likes being with people, is good at dealing with people. For example, to work in customer service or as a nurse, you should be a "people person". This is quite common to say, and is a positive expression. (You might even write this on a job application.) However, I don't think that this is the same meaning used here in Dorian Gray.