Like GEARYS Beverly Hills President and CEO Tom Blumenthal, Aerin Lauder understands the importance of family. Granddaughter of the cosmetics industry pioneer Estée Lauder, Aerin founded her luxury-lifestyle brand, AERIN, in 2012. The company’s mission is to bring effortless, beautiful style into homes around the world in the form of fragrance, fashion accessories, and home décor. It’s an incredible legacy to uphold, but Aerin is taking it into the future with grace.
Tom interviewed the icon about her legacy and the inspiration behind her lifestyle brand.
Tom: What’s the favorite piece of business advice that your grandmother shared with you, that you hold to this day?
Aerin: My grandmother always emphasized the importance of quality and attention to detail. She also used to say that if she put her name on the package, then it had to be the best. Now with my own brand, I really understand why. It’s my name on the lighting, the home accessories, the fragrance, and the storefronts, so everything we do has to be the best it can be.
T: You’re carrying on your family legacy through your lifestyle brand. What inspired you to start AERIN?
A: I worked at Estée Lauder for about 25 years, gaining amazing experience in many different departments. I was always doing interviews on what was in my makeup bag and the items I couldn’t live without. After being asked that question so many times, I felt there was an opportunity in the marketplace for a lifestyle brand based on feminine, modern, and effortless products with a strong heritage.
T: Talk about your decision to focus your lifestyle brand on the home.
A: I soon realized that when the modern woman thinks about beauty, she sees beauty as an extension of herself, her home, her wardrobe, and her travels. Therefore, beauty and home should live together. In 2012, when I decided to launch AERIN, I expanded the whole concept of beauty to make it part of the way we live today. We did this with what I love the most: makeup, fragrance, objects for the home, and accessories. Beauty is my heritage, but home and accessories are my true passion. Since the brand is built on the concept of lifestyle and effortless style, it was very easy to merge my passions into different categories.
T: What are some of the traditions you inherited from your grandmother?
A: My grandmother Estée was the first person who sparked this creative awareness in me. Growing up, I would watch her connect with people and talk passionately about her products. By the time I started working, I took all these ideas and turned them on myself. I’ve always been very sensitive to my environment and deeply inspired by images, colors, patterns, and textures. I like to bring together visual references that are surprising and beautiful.
T: Your many travels inspire your work. What is your favorite place to go, and why?
A: I always love going back to Capri. It is a truly special destination, especially in the summer. The sunshine, the glistening water, the bright colors, the food, the people, and the culture are all completely magical.
T: In your life, who has informed your sense of style and love of design the most, and how?
A: My grandmother, Estée, was an amazing grandmother, friend, and, of course, style icon. She was an incredible role model and taught me the importance of passion, style, hard work, family, and all things beautiful.
T: What’s your favorite room in your house, and why?
A: My favorite room in my house is definitely the kitchen. It’s where my family spends the most time.
T: You give people a look into your personal life through your Instagram account. People turn to you for inspiration; whether it be how to style your dinner table or shelves in your bedroom, you share it all. What’s your favorite thing to share on Instagram?
A: I think that sharing my tablescapes and my entertaining style is my favorite. I am constantly mixing and matching different pieces on the table or trying out new products from the AERIN brand. This keeps entertaining interesting and exciting for me. I found that I really love sharing these concepts, ideas, and tips with my followers, which is why my new book focuses solely on entertaining at home. “Entertaining Beautifully” launches this fall.
T: What’s next for your brand?
A: There are many exciting things happening for the AERIN brand. I look forward to developing new products, continuing to collaborate with like-minded brands, conceptualizing retail concepts, and determining ways for our business to adapt to this new reality.
