Leonard Lauder (Estée Lauder's son and Chairman Emeritus) brought his "traveling companion" international actress, model and brand ambassador Elizabeth Hurley to town just for the occasion. Lauder was just a delight and held the crowd rapt with the story about how his mother came to Dallas in 1950 to pitch her new line to Neiman Marcus.
Seems the cosmetics buyer foisted her off onto an assistant buyer. Undeterred by the snub, Estée marched the assistant buyer into the ladies room and gave her a facial and applied her make-up. "She emerged.. glamorous! And if you had seen her before, she was not so glamorous," chuckled Lauder. 64 years later, the love affair between the two companies is still strong.
Jim Gold, President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Neiman Marcus Group, presented some Texas-themed gifts to the esteemed visitors: Hurley received a bouquet of yellow roses and Lauder a cowboy hat which gleefully donned. Lauder proclaimed Dallas women to be amongst the most beautiful in the world. "Look to your left, look to your right and you'll see what I mean," he mused. Hey, he'll get no argument from me!
pieces from the new Estée Lauder Collection and Leonard Lauder with Cynthia Smoot
Attendees were given a preview of
- The new limited edition “Celebration of Style” 2014 Solid Perfume and Pressed Powder Collection (4 new solid perfumes and 6 new pressed powder compacts). Included in this collection are two pressed powder compacts exclusive to Neiman Marcus (Sapphire Sparklers and Shining Stars) and two perfume solids exclusive to Neiman Marcus (Festive Cocktail and Precious Jewels)
- A preview of two additional compacts whose proceeds benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), founded by the late Evelyn H. Lauder. 100% of the proceeds from the Modern Muse Solid Perfume Compact and 20% of the proceeds from the Evelyn Lauder Dream Compact benefit the BCRF.
- A “Neiman Marcus Red” Lipstick produced especially for the opening of the new Estée Lauder shop at Neiman Marcus NorthPark
Thank you to the dapper Mr. Lauder and the Estée Lauder company for gifting me with the ladylike pieces pictured above. It was my pleasure to meet such an icon of the beauty industry (and meeting Elizabeth was pretty cool too)!
Visit the new Estée Lauder shop at Neiman Marcus NorthPark to shop this iconic brand.
