Aerin Lauder Biography

Name : Aerin Lauder

Nationality: American.

Born: April 23, 1970, in New York City, New York.

Education: University of Pennsylvania, BA, 1991.

Profession : Creative Director and Chairman, AERIN LLC

Beauty and glamour were integral to Zinterhofer's childhood. She recounted sitting with her grandmother in front of her vanity, studiously observing her techniques for applying eye shadow and lipstick. At an early age she wore opal lip gloss to school and mapped out her plans to work for either the family business or a fashion magazine.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a communications degree, Zinterhofer joined Estee Lauder's Prescriptives marketing team. She began working for the flag-ship Lauder brand in 1995 and was promoted to executive director of creative marketing in 1997. She created seasonal palettes for lipsticks and makeup and devised the concept of seasonal fragrances. She also conceived the notion of seasonal nail varnish bottled in vials small enough to last a season before new colors were launched.

One of her most successful projects was the ad campaign shot by the photographer Steven Meisel featuring the model Elizabeth Hurley. Lauder had researched ads from the 1970s featuring the model Karen Graham and became convinced that the key to a new campaign would be a sense of lifestyle. Elizabeth Hurley was featured running along a beach wearing full bridal attire, pursued by a number of young men presumed to be friends of the groom.

The year 2001 was pivotal for Estee Lauder. The company weathered tough times after the terrorist attacks of September 11 due to a weak economy, a drop in travel, less traffic in department stores, and fierce competition. Additionally, the flag-ship brand was losing ground as consumers' top choice in cosmetics; the company's core customers were aging and so was the company's image.

The firm needed an executive who could be trusted and who truly understood the customer base; Zinterhofer fit the bill. She had worked in different facets of the business, but perhaps more significantly she was a young, glamorous woman. When Zinterhofer acquired the role of vice president of global advertising in 2001, she was positioned at the helm of all advertising for Estee Lauder.

Zinterhofer immediately pushed to reinvent the namesake brand, staying true to its trademark sophistication while introducing modern undertones that would appeal to a younger audience. She recruited the model Carolyn Murphy as a spokes-woman and signed the Ethiopian-born Liya Kebede to the company's first major contract with a black model. She took the bold step of replacing the photographer with whom she had worked so closely, Steven Meisel, bringing on the more modern style of Mario Testino. Estee Lauder had a strong 2003, with 8 percent sales growth, a 20 percent increase in earnings, and $5 billion in sales for the first time.

Ms. Aerin Lauder has been Creative Consultant of Estee Lauder Inc. since April 2011. Ms. Lauder has been Style and Image Director and Director at Estee Lauder Companies Inc. Ms. Lauder served as Senior Vice President and Creative Director of Estee Lauder Companies Inc., since July 2004. Ms. Lauder served as Vice President of Global Advertising for the brand of Global Creative Directions of Estee Lauder from April 2001 to June 2004. She served as an Executive Director.