On Thursday afternoon, Aerin Lauder hosted Vogue100 members for an intimate lunch and masterclass in holiday decor at her Florida home.
At around noon, attendees arrived at Lauder’s residence, a surprisingly tranquil refuge. Palm Beach is not a town known for subtly. The island’s most famous properties— Henry Flager’s Whitehall, Joseph Kennedy’s La Querida, Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Mar-a-Lago—favor grandiosity. Of course, that is not to say Lauder’s house, built by architect Howard Major in the Louis XVI style and faced with Cuban limestone, is not grand, but the pale palette, delicate furnishing, and curatorial restraint employed by her and her decorator, Stephen Sills, create a sense of modernity and serenity. Large windows and French doors opened up to a lawn where a dog snoozed in the sun. The effect is that of a modern-day Petit Trianon rather than a Versailles.
In 2012, after a successful career at her family’s cosmetics business, Lauder launched her namesake brand. In the years since Aerin has become synonymous with American elegance. A fusion of ease and luxury unites the ever-expanding line of furniture, beauty, gifts, tabletop, fragrance, and more.
Lauder led her guests on a tour of the property. She pointed out objects and told their stories. At last, the group came upon the dining room, which was filled with gifts and decorations. 19th-century French chairs were pushed to the side to make room for the beautiful treasures made of porcelain, leather, silver, and gold.
“What you’re seeing on the table,” Lauder said, “are pieces that represent my favorite elements of the brand.”
Lauder proceeded to reveal her favorite holiday tips and tricks. “It is wonderful to mix old and new,” she said, echoing a recurring theme throughout the afternoon.
Family history is an enduring inspiration. “We always celebrated Christmas Eve because Estée’s husband (Joseph) was born on Christmas Eve. We would go to the Twenty One Club. Estée loved gold and felt it was so festive. It’s the perfect time of year to use it.”
Lauder lifted up shining bowls filled with seasonal treats. “It’s the time of year; you can have candy all day long.”
Lauder suggested that games— like the handsome green backgammon set and the lapis set of cards that glinted underneath the antique chandelier— make perfect presents for men. The gift of a family photograph in a beautiful frame, particularly one in the shape of a heart, is foolproof.
“We just launched jewelry,” Lauder said. “You are the first to see it. We worked with someone who had been at Tiffany for about thirty years. We’ve done charms, all named after different friends.”
To Lauder, everything in the collection is personal— as all gifts should be.
“I know a lot of you entertain,” Lauder said to the very social group. “We’ve recently debuted the Heirloom Collection, which is all made to order. Julia (Amory) just got the yellow plates.”
“And the pink,” laughed Amory, a designer with a shop on South County Road. “And the green.”
Lauder’s collection is addictive. Each piece, which appears classic at first glance, reveals wit, beauty, and charm upon further inspection. The embroidery on a napkin, the rim of a cup, the scalloping of a plate all delight and surprise. From pendants to match boxes to travel bags— Aerin is an ecosystem of elegance.
. After the masterclass, Lauder beckoned the group to sit for lunch on the veranda. The table, set in resplendent shades of green, provided the perfect case study of Aerin’s power to transform the act of hosting into an art form.
