Founded in 1891, The Metropolitan Club is one of Stanford White’s architectural masterpieces and one of New York’s most pedigreed private social clubs. (photo by ©MRNY)
When a friend invites you to dine at The Metropolitan Club, one of Stanford White’s architectural masterpieces and one of New York’s most pedigreed private social clubs, you don’t hesitate to say yes—even when the meal in question is an early breakfast and you’re a night owl—because said breakfast is in honor of The Fragrance Foundation.
Founded with the mission to inspire the public toward a greater appreciation and passion for fragrance, The Fragrance Foundation is a non-profit organization currently headed by Linda G. Levy who hosted the third annual The Creatives 2018 fragrance forum.
The Fragrance Foundation’s 3rd Annual Creatives at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan (from left to right: Jane Larkworthy, Aerin Lauder, Karyn Khoury, and Honorine Blanc) (photo by ©Casey Kelbaugh)
This year’s panelists included Aerin Lauder, founder of AERIN and Style & Image Director for Estée Lauder, who was joined on the dais of crimson leather chairs by Karyn Khoury, a senior advisor for Estée Lauder, and Honorine Blanc, Master Perfumer at Firmenich, whose olfactory oeuvre of best-selling fragrances includes many Aerin Collection favorites. Given that these three women have worked together closely for many years, moderator Jane Larkworthy, the former executive beauty editor of W magazine, had only to toss out a few choice bon mots for the trio of fragrance executives to impart lessons learned from their cumulative decades of insider beauty knowledge.
Here’s what we took away.
According to Aerin Lauder, the fragrance smorgasbord evoked her grandmother Estée’s dressing table. (photo by ©MRNY)
Listen to Your Grandmother: Upon arrival outside the ballroom at the Metropolitan Club, guests were greeted by the sight of a massive dining table laden with enough fragrance to freshen the entire MTA. According to Lauder, the fragrance smorgasbord evoked her grandmother Estée’s dressing table: a cornucopia of beauty product that Estée Lauder would offer to those around her—family, friends, doormen, taxi drivers—in order to get their honest assessment of what she was about to place on the market.
In other words, listen—to everyone—and learn.
Jane Larkworthy (L), the former executive beauty editor of W magazine, listens to Aerin Lauder (R), founder of AERIN and Style & Image Director for Estée Lauder. (photo by ©MRNY)
Smell the Lilacs: Lauder wanted to do a lilac fragrance and Khoury, who had worked with Estée for years, agreed that the time might be right for lilac’s return. Lilac hadn’t been introduced in a new way for years—perhaps suffering from a slight ageist stigma—but nonetheless, they went for it. The result? Lilac Path, which became one of Aerin Collection’s best-selling fragrances.
The lesson? Follow your nose—and take a leap of faith.
The Fragrance Foundation’s 3rd Annual Creatives breakfast (from L to R: Jane Larkworthy, Aerin Lauder, Karyn Khoury, Honorine Blanc) (photo by ©Casey Kelbaugh)
Let It Go: When Khoury worked with Estée, there were often late-night phone calls; with Aerin, there have been Sunday night emails, one of which began, “Please don’t kill me.” Right before a product’s launch, after months of research and development, Lauder was having second thoughts. Something wasn’t right—and so, they let it go.
If it doesn’t feel right for the brand, then let it go—no matter how late in the game.
When Khoury worked with Estée, there were often late-night phone calls; with Aerin, there have been Sunday night emails, one of which began, “Please don’t kill me.” (photo by ©MRNY)
Hugging Your Son (Is Good for Business): As a young mother, Lauder would hug her son tightly before sending him off to his pre-school classroom. In those years, Lauder was working on Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, a new iteration of her grandmother’s Private Collection—and wearing her fragrances like her grandmother, fine-tuning them before release.
After months of hugging her son each morning, her son’s teacher asked to speak with her about her son. Lauder feared the worst—disruption in the classroom, misbehavior—until the teacher sat her down and told her that her son had the most delicious smell. All the teachers agreed. Relieved, Lauder realized that the teacher was smelling the new Private Collection on her son—from her morning hugs.
Which meant that the fragrance was working—or, in other words, hugging your son is good for business.
Aerin Lauder (L) with The Fragrance Foundation President Linda G. Levy (R) at The Metropolitan Club in Manhattan. (photo by ©Casey Kelbaugh)
Be Inspired by (Most) Travel: For many years, Lauder has vacationed in the South of France, which she evoked in the fragrance Mediterranean Honeysuckle. Other Aerin fragrances celebrate Monet’s gardens at Giverny and the mystical scents of Tangier.
That said, however, a visit to your son’s college dorm is not likely to result in a fragrance best-seller.
And lastly:
Designed by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White, The Metropolitan Club was completed in 1894. (photo by ©MRNY)
If You Change Your Clothes: As Lauder reminded her audience, it was her grandmother Estée’s belief that if you changed outfits for dinner, then why not change your fragrance as well?
Because what’s good for your dinner partner is also good for business.
