Aerin Lauder Celebrates ‘Living With Flowers’ Book at Ralph Lauren Flagship
Spring may still be a few weeks away, but flowers were in no short supply at the Ralph Lauren flagship in New York on Monday night. Arrangements of various colors and sizes — and lineup of classic Polo Bar cocktails — welcomed guests as they arrived to celebrate the launch of Aerin Lauder‘s new Rizzoli book, “Living With Flowers.”
“I can’t think of a more perfect place to launch in New York than Ralph Lauren,” said Lauder, holding court on the second floor as she cohosted the release party with David Lauren and Lauren Bush Lauren. “When I was starting my brand 12 years ago, I was always being inspired by amazing lifestyle brands. When I think of lifestyle, I think of Ralph Lauren and what he’s created.”
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“Living With Flowers” is an exploration of how flowers have manifested in Lauder’s day-to-day life, home, and lifestyle brand Aerin.
“It was an opportunity to showcase flowers in different ways, and not just as a traditional bouquet of flowers,” said Lauder; the photo-driven book includes compositions of bouquets alongside floral wallpaper, ceramics both functional and decorative, artwork, clothing and products from the Aerin line. “It really was a very broad concept, that we were excited to translate with beautiful visuals and working with amazing florists — many are here tonight,” she added.
The book also highlights Lauder’s personal connections to flowers, from the floral wallpaper in her childhood bedroom to the lilac bush in the backyard of her family home that inspired one of Aerin’s most popular fragrances. The scent of Bulgarian rose evokes her earliest memories of her grandmother Estée Lauder, and while each season brings forth a different favorite flower — and memory — roses remain one of Lauder’s most meaningful blooms throughout the year. “I do think roses are the most beautiful,” she said.
Monday’s book release was also a family affair: guests included Aerin’s parents Jo Carole Lauder and Ronald Lauder, as well as Brad Lauren and Jerry Lauren. Wes Gordon and Paul Arnhold, Sheila Bridges, Athena Calderone, Jacquelyn Jablonski, Indre Rockefeller, Jennifer Creel, Sophie Elgort, and more also stopped by to toast the tome and pick up a signed copy.
”It’s beautiful. It gives you an emotion right away,” said cohost David Lauren of his reaction to the book. “It’s a wonderful oasis from the chaos and the cold air. It’s full of color and warmth and it just feels homey — and feels like a place you want to live.”
Lauren considered one of the store’s nearby arrangements, an organic burst of white flowers and greenery.
”It is amazing how flowers really speak to people. You know, it’s a subliminal thing, whether it’s in the smell, or about the colors, but it does something to you mentally,” added Lauren. “We forget about nature. But it’s the simplest way, in a big urban house, or in a country house, just to feel alive.”
Launch Gallery: Inside the Aerin Book Party Event
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