Estée Lauder heiress: 'Beauty is global'

Aerin Lauder talks about putting her stamp on the luxury brand industry and casting ethnically diverse models.

Welcome to the curated world of Aerin Lauder.

So when we are saying that this is a world of Aerin, virtually everything here has been touched by you.

Everything, fabric, furniture, carpets, vases,

The wall paper,

The wall paper, everything.

Granddaughter to beauty mogul Estée Lauder, the New Yorker has carved her own footprint in a very competitive industry, creating the luxury lifestyle brand Aerin in 2012.

So how do you define luxury?

Well, I think it’s the materials and the quality and a level of perfection. Whether it’s a beautiful, comfortable velvet sofa, a gold crystal chandelier,

And is luxury attainable?

Luxury is definitely attainable, and I think it could be anything from a beautiful little gold bowl on your desk, to very glamorous chandelier and everything in between.

Spending years as the creative director of Estée Lauder, she first made her mark by signing model Liya Kebede to be the first African American face of the brand.

That was a very good decision and she’s still a very good friend of mine. And I thought she was the most exquisite person inside and out, and was so modern and new for the brand, and for many cosmetic brands, and I think there was something, it was definitely a chapter of beauty history.

And in 2011, you made a decision to cast Liu Wen, and Joan Smalls as global icon from China and from Puerto Rico. Why is that an important thing to do in this business?

Because beauty is global, and I think it’s the idea that every woman can be beautiful which is the concept that Estée has, that is still so modern today, it’s the idea of beauty from all over the world.

Now as she struggles from many professional roles, Aerin also steps in as mother of two.

I think it’s amazing, it’s also a little bit adorable that you’re this beauty icon, and yet you have this family of man at home.

My children are a very important part of my life. I love being with them and traveling with them. And it’s exciting now that they are older, so they can really experiencing everything that I’m doing.

Now, in addition to when you travel on road, how do you carve out that time to spend time with your husband and your boys?

Well, I think it’s all about balance, I think I work hard, I love what I do, but when I leave the office, I switch gears and I become a mother and a wife and I think that’s very important.

And her advice for taking on the world of glamor and style,

I think to have passion and drive and to love what you do, if you love beauty and you love style and you love fashion, it’s a wonderful, wonderful path,

How can I and other working women and moms find and create beauty in our lives?

Well, I think the concept that every woman can be beautiful if you just take the time, it’s really important and so true.