t’s no secret that American businesswoman Aerin Lauder has taken the beauty, style and design world by storm. She is not only the style and design director of Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv, part of her grand mother’s eponymous beauty company, but is also the founder and creative director of her own luxury lifestyle brand AERIN. Next month, industry experts can expect to hear from Lauder as the Design Luncheon speaker, along with Mark D. Sikes, during Nantucket by Design (July 15-18) in a panel discussion about the icons, inspiration and interiors behind American style—which AERIN epitomizes. N Magazine chats with Lauder further about the panel; Nantucket inspirations; the intersection of beauty, fashion and interior design; and more.

The topic for your talk will be “American Style: Icons,Inspiration and Interiors.” Can you go into more detail about what guests can expect?

Classic American style and heritage have always been inspiring to me, which you can see throughout my brand, my home and my wardrobe. I love the effortless sensibility and timeless approach to American style, especially when it comes to design and interiors. In Nantucket, I am excited to share an inside look at some of my favorite visual inspirations, aspirational American icons  and designers who have influenced me over the years and, of course, the impact of American style on our industry and beyond. A wonderful example of that inspiration is the new AERIN for Williams Sonoma collection. This spring, we launched an assortment of entertaining essentials and beautiful furniture pieces, all of which were inspired by my home and my garden in East Hampton, as well as an American basket that belonged to my mother. The collections possess the detailed simplicity of classic American design and summers spent outdoors with friends and family.

What is your Nantucket connection?

I visited Nantucket a few times when I was in my teens. I stayed at The White Elephant, and I have special memories of the incredible beaches, delicious food, famous ice cream shop and classic American design on the island. Nantucket has also always been a place filled with such authentic inspiration, especially the textiles and baskets. Raffia and wicker are seen consistently throughout the AERIN brand, cross-category, which really emphasizes that timeless American aesthetic. It is a material that I incorporate into my home and my wardrobe, no matter the destination or the season.

You’re known for your luxury lifestyle brands in beauty, fashion and interiors. How do you believe these categories all intersect?

When the modern woman thinks about beauty, she sees beauty as an extension of herself, her home, her wardrobe and her travels. Therefore, beauty and home should live together.  When I decided to launch AERIN, I expanded the whole concept of beauty to make it part of the way we live today. Beauty is my heritage, but home and accessories are my true passion. Since the brand is built on the concept of lifestyle and effortless style, it was very easy to merge my passions into these different categories.

As a successful American businesswoman, what is your advice to those in similar fields?

My grandmother, Estée Lauder, always talked about the importance of being authentic. She used to say that if you are passionate and true, success will come. I have valued this idea since I was a young girl. Through the years, my goals have ultimately stayed the same—to be authentic to myself and do what I love. That is the best advice that I can give to any entrepreneur.

Looking forward, how do you see the industry changing this year and beyond?

I always say that my style is classic, with a modern twist, which has now become a theme throughout the industry. The concept of heritage and vintage is more present than ever, which I am really excited about. I think we are seeing this idea industry-wide, especially in lighting, table top and decorative accessories. AERIN is also leading the way with a specialty assortment of carefully curated and bespoke pieces that are now available for our customers to discover. Designers and brands alike are going back into their archives to revisit popular styles from many years ago and launch them in a modern way. I have always referenced my own heritage, but I am inspired by how I am seeing much more of this when it comes to design.

What are some major trends that you foresee for the end of 2024 and into 2025?

One trend that I am especially excited about is the return of color and pattern. For many years, a neutral color palette was very popular, but I feel that we are starting to move away from that and more toward a colorful mix of pattern and texture.

What’s new for AERIN?

We are planning to open a new retail location in the fall, in a destination that will be a first for the brand. We also have a few collaborations launching over the next couple of months, allowing us to work with like-minded, talented partners and design collections that offer an element of surprise and delight to the consumer. Mark Cross and Gracie are two of our most recent partnerships that represent the best of American design.

Who or what is your inspiration?

I draw inspiration from everywhere—from friends, family, travel, museums, exhibitions, hotels and destinations. Many of our products within the AERIN brand are actually inspired by destinations that I have visited. Each piece is unique in its inspiration and tells its own story.