EXCLUSIVE: Aerin Lauder Brings Vibrant, Travel-influenced Style to L.A., Opens First West Coast Store at Palisades Village
Aerin — the luxury lifestyle brand founded by Aerin Lauder that leans into vibrant colors and goods sourced globally — has unveiled its first West Coast store in Los Angeles in Pacific Palisades.
“I was always inspired by California, especially the Los Angeles area, because there’s a wonderful sense of community, culture, art, style,” said Lauder, who is the granddaughter of celebrated cosmetics entrepreneur Estée Lauder.
More from WWD
Lauder has her own beauty brand, a fragrance line, which she offers in the 1,140-square-foot shop alongside a range of goods by designers and artisans that reflect the refined yet relaxed style of the local community. The store, located at 15237 Palisades Village Lane, is in an affluent neighborhood that is a short drive from the beach, sitting between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Mountains.
“My uncle Leonard [Lauder] always has this wonderful quote, ‘act global, but think local,’” she went on. “And what we’ve done for Los Angeles is we have a curated collection of products that we don’t have in other stores.”
The California location at Rick Caruso’s high-end shopping center Palisades Village marks her third retail store after Southampton and Palm Beach. The selection features apparel by European brands including Maria de la Orden, Alix of Bohemia, Julia Amory and Dovima Paris; accessories; home décor; travel essentials, and jewelry, including Lauder’s own designs. She has just introduced her first jewelry collection, a line with hand-carved gemstones and 14-karat gold charms.
The assortment of products, which includes exclusive items by Colombia-made swimwear and resortwear label Cala de la Cruz, London shop Soler and New York fine jewelry brand Ten Thousand Things, will change seasonally, she said.
“The brand has a lot of storytelling and a lot of wonderful inspiration from the beach and sunshine and flowers, and it seems like all of these elements are there all year round,” she said of the SoCal lifestyle. “And regarding the Palisades, I went and visited it. And [Palisades Village owner] Rick Caruso, I really admire and think what he’s done is quite extraordinary. When I walked into Palisades Village, I knew that this was a place that I would love and dream to have a store in. I just felt that the energy, sensibility.”
Launched in 2012, Aerin is a reflection of Lauder’s personal style and taste, with curated collections influenced by her travels around the world.
“The consumer is really more about a state of mind,” she said of her shopper. “It’s not necessarily an age. It’s someone who’s inspired by travel and art.”
Art fills the store, including a photograph by Lachlan Bailey and surf-inspired piece by Richard Dupont. The interior, drawing inspiration from the Mediterranean style of the 1960s and 1970s, was designed with the help of Stephen Sills.
“I would love to do something in Texas,” Lauder said of what’s ahead. “That’s another market that I would love to get into. And we’ve done a couple of trunk shows and book signings there, and we see that there’s a wonderful opportunity for the Aerin brand.”
She has her sixth lifestyle book coming out in February, she added, and looks forward to unveiling her first jewelry line: “I think it will be really exciting for our customer. It’s very pretty, feminine. It’s very giftable.”
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
