Few people are aware of how many brands the internationalcosmetics company, Estée Lauder is composed of —16 brandsincluding Clinique, Prescriptives, M-A-C, Bobby Brown,Aveda and Joe Malone to name a few. The company is alsothe beauty product licensee for designers Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karan,and Kate Spade Beauty. With net sales in 2002 of $4.7 billion, much ofthe company’s success over the past 40 years has been attributed to EvelynLauder. Additionally, because of Evelyn Lauder’s interest and initiative,Estée Lauder company has been at the forefront of breast cancerawareness. She also started the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, thefirst and largest national organization dedicated solely to funding clinicaland genetic research on breast cancer, raising more than forty milliondollars since its inception. An acclaimed photographer with photographshanging in such prestigious museums as the Whitney and the BrooklynMuseums, Mrs. Lauder has a new photography book out called “An EyeFor Beauty” (Abrams Books). All of the royalties from the book will bedonated to the Foundation. The book features 105 full-color images fromLauder’s extensive travels around the world, and includes one photographfrom Ground Zero entitled Broken. This October, Evelyn Lauder wasin D.C. to kick off an eight city tour to launch breast cancer awarenessmonth. The festivities included a fundraiser at Neiman Marcus thatraised approximately $30,000, and a light ceremony where in the flip ofa switch, Lauder turned the outside of the National Women’s Museum,the District Building and the D.C. Neiman Marcus, pink. WashingtonLife spoke with Evelyn Lauder this October.
Can you talk about the philanthropic work that you and the EstéeLauder company are doing?
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we timed it so that the book would be readyto be sold then. I’m giving all my royalties to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.And Estée Lauder (the company) is doing a multitude of things. We’re giving away PinkRibbons for awareness, bookmarks with instruction on how to do self-examinations,and little Pink Ribbon stickers that go on your calendar as a reminder to do aself-examination on a particular day of each month. We are also selling PinkRibbon compacts, pins, and Pink Ribbon lipstick. All profits from these items will go tothe Foundation. Other brands within our corporation are also doing (similar)things.
What sets the Breast Cancer Research Foundation apart from other foundationsdoing work on this issue?
The last thing I needed in my life was an extra job but when we started (thefoundation) in 1993 no one else was funding research. There were a lot of people who were doingnet working and support systems, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation was doing greatawareness, but no one was supporting real research. Today we are supporting 61 researchers inover 40 institutions, and they have become a mini-institute of their own, because they’resharing information and collaborating on certain efforts.
What drew you to this cause in the first place?
I saw this videotape —I think it was in 1988 —that the entire cosmeticindustry was involved with, called, “Look Good, Feel Better.” It’s a project that engaged all ofus. They showed us a videotape of patients who happened to be breast cancer patients —women with no hair, eyelashes, or eyebrows. When the video ended, we were all in tears,because these women were so courageous to permit themselves to be photographed. Theaim was to get the American Cosmetology Association and the cosmetic industry involvedwith the American Cancer Society. Each month, all participating companies were askedto donate a specific type of product for the goody bag that was then used to teach womenhow to make up their faces. So, one month it would be eyebrow pencils, and another monthrouge. Then we started to talk about breast cancer, and somebody said that twice as manywomen at the time were dying of breast cancer than AIDS. It was at that time that the AIDSactivists had been so successful in drawing attention to their cause, and getting Federalfunding. So I said if they can do that, then we have to do something for women. EstéeLauder wouldn’t be a success if it was not for our customers. This is our way of giving back,and it’s very costly to us. This is not “cause” marketing, this is genuine giving back.It takes a lot of my time, and it takes money for us to manufactureall these things, and give back all the profits. So that’s how it got started.
A lot of Estée Lauder’s success and growth over the last 40 years can be attributedto you. What do you think has remained the same over the last forty years?
Quality. Each brand has its own niche but in every brand, the one thread that is commonamong all of them is high quality, and dedicated people who manage their companies. Weonly get involved with people who are burning with the love of that business.
How are you able to predict what people will want?
It’s almost the same question that I am frequently asked, how do you know when afragrance is ready? It’s the “aha” factor. I just know that I don’tneed to fool around with it anymore. It’s the same thing with a look, you just know.
What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?
I love the creative process on any of the products thatwe’re working on. I (also)love being in the stores with the customers. I feel that that’sa very creative aspect as well.
You are also very creative with a camera, judging from the photographs in your book.What about photography appeals to you?
The miracle of a camera is that you can freeze something in time, and a photoconnects us to it. (For example) I don’t feel anything for the people for whom I haveno photographs in my family from past generations. But (family members)for whom Ido have photographs, I can see family resemblances, and I can geta sense of character. Like all photographers, I am fascinated by light and the way it formspatterns and creates texture. I am captivated by the reflectionof light on water, and the movement of wind over a meadow and the textures it creates. Iam interested in photographing what is not obvious.
Are there any themes that you have found consistent in your travels that define beautyin different cultures ?
Well, I find there’s a lot of beauty in children. I love relating to children.And whenever I travel, not because I have toys or gifts, I find that childrengravitate to me because they can sense that I love all children.
I want to talk about the fact that your photographs are owned by privatecollectors such as Richard Meier and Elton John, and prestigious art institutions such asthe Whitney Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum. I also know that there’s a wing or a galleryin your name at the Whitney.
Yes, in my husband’s and my name. But the photographs are not hanging there, becausethat gallery is for the permanent collection. I didn’t want the Whitney to get any of mypictures because I said it reeks of nepotism, but they insisted, and they bought them.
What drew you to the Whitney?
My husband was always attracted to the Whitney Museum. He became a boardmember, and then after that he was president, and after the presidency, he took on thechairmanship. The presidency, I think, started in 1989, and sohe’s been involved for a while.
“An Eye For Beauty” would make a really nice gift. Where can one buy the book ofyour photographs?
The books are personally signed and available in D.C. at Neiman Marcus. Youcan also buy them online at esteelauder.com. (Additionally) a selection of ten photographsare being sold at a much more modest price than my regular prints sell for onguild.com.(Artland.com gets you intoguild.com). And all royalties will go to theBreast Cancer Research Foundation.
How much are you hoping to raise?
Oh, there’s no target. The sky is the limit because, in this case, they can reprint the book.
You have had a lot of incredible achievements, in business with Estée Lauder andin philanthropy and your photography. What do you consideryour greatest achievement thus far?
Oh, that's very hard to quantify, but certainly I think, all women feel that they needto have a nest. Then out of that nest are the fledglings. I think my biggest achievement is mychildren, and the fact they are decent, wonderful human beings, and that both my sonswere fortunate to meet and select wonderful girls as wives, and that they are successfulthemselves. To me, that's the most important thing in life.
