Aerin Lauder and her eponymous brand realize the dream—and her new collaborations help expand her elegant world.
Though her family name has been globally recognizable since the 1950s, Aerin Lauder has long ensured her first name stands alone as a global luxury lifestyle brand with an unmistakably elegant aesthetic.
“My grandmother, Estée, taught me the importance of quality and attention to detail,” she says of her famous grandmother, known for founding one of the world’s leading cosmetics companies. “I was always inspired by her timeless sense of style, but my approach is more laid back. Estée was very modern for her time, but my sensibility is much more casual.”
Though her demeanor is always elegantly at ease, Lauder maintains a rigorous pace for her ever-growing luxury lifestyle empire, found primarily at her namesake boutiques in Palm Beach and the Hamptons. In early 2024, along with her own AERIN signature creations, she unveiled collections resulting from four major collaborations: nursery essentials and gifts with Pottery Barn Kids; home decor and accessories with heritage wallpaper brand Gracie; fashion accessories from perennial luxury leather brand Mark Cross; and entertaining pieces and outdoor furnishings with Williams Sonoma and Williams Sonoma Home. Lauder says she primarily focuses on comfort, luxury, and function, especially when designing home collections.
AERIN & Gracie collection (Photo courtesy of AERIN)
“I like rooms to feel lived in with an elevated sensibility through an eclectic mix of vintage finds, contemporary items, and different colors, patterns, and textures,” she says. “The collections are infused with my own memories and entertaining essentials, as well as the ethos of the AERIN brand.”
Her East Hampton garden inspired the Williams Sonoma pieces, for example, which feature shades of baby blue and pistachio green in florals and gingham intended to complement a line of all-weather wicker furnishings. A similar pastel palette also runs through her Pottery Barn Kids collection. For AERIN & Gracie, Lauder sourced a 1960s pattern and replicated it on picture frames, makeup bags, and games.
“Estée’s love of birds and flowers is something that she passed down to me,” she explains, and adds, “I have always been very influenced by my surroundings.”
When envisioning pieces for Mark Cross, Lauder took cues from the brand’s archival silhouettes and modernized them by having the shapes realized in natural canvas, trimmed in camel Vachetta leather. The resulting shoulder bag, magazine tote, garden tote, and tennis racket cover are unquestionably AERIN.
Left: AERIN Pink Onyx Bath Accessories (Photo courtesy of AERIN) Right: AERIN Rose Lip Conditioner (Photo courtesy of AERIN)
“I take a very hands-on approach, and I am incredibly involved in my business and the development of every AERIN product,” she says. “It is my name on everything we make, so it has to be the best.”
Even with the promise of a new AERIN store opening on the West Coast by the end of the year, another book due in spring, and potentially many more high-end collaborations in the future, Lauder says her main focus centers on enjoying the present: “My biggest accomplishment is being a mother to my two boys, and there is nothing I love more than spending time with my family.” Happily, her AERIN collections and collaborations share glimpses of those familial influences.
