Aerin Lauder Details ‘Living With Flowers’ at Kappa Tablescapes (& Thinks Her Grandmother Estée Would Have Loved Instagram)

Aerin Lauder knows there is one story in her repertoire of anecdotes about her grandmother, Estée, that always delights a crowd. (I know because I’ve heard it before.) Aerin credits Estée with inventing the GWP (“gift with purchase”) and frequently tells the crowd-favorite (albeit unverified) story of how Queen Elizabeth sent a lady-in-waiting to Harrods to collect her GWP when Estée Lauder made its debut at the department store.

Could a better audience for Lauder exist than those who attend Kappa Tablescapes? Luminous co-chairs Shelby Krause Goff, Maddy McGuire, and Sophie McGuire made the perfect choice in Lauder as the luncheon’s keynote speaker; she serendipitously released a book called Living With Flowers earlier this year. (For last year’s tricennial Tablescapes, Carolina Herrera Creative Director Wes Gordon delighted the floral frocked crowd, declaring that, “The world needs more pretty!”)

If you’re unfamiliar with Kappa Tablescapes, Kappas & Co. held court at Dallas Country Club for a series of events that included Kappa Tea & Bubbles, Tablescapes by Candlelight, and the Tablescapes Luncheon. At all three events, guests admire lavishly decorated and adorned tables by 34 designers and brands, including Audrey Defforey with Mary Hafner, Caitlin Wilson, Courtney Petit Design, Riley Addy, La DoubleJ, Misette, Cathy Kincaid, Ellis Hill, and The Ivy House.

Since 1995, when Barbara Barton and Louise Griffeth founded the Dallas Alumnae Association’s signature fundraiser, Kappa Tablescapes, has supported Dallas agencies that improve the lives of our citizens. This year’s beneficiaries include the Callier Center for Communication Disorders, Equest, Men of Nehemiah, and The Notre Dame School of Dallas.

NBC 5’s Meredith Land emceed this year’s Kappa Tablescapes, which felt particularly meaningful and emotional. The chairs recognized three ladies whose absence was deeply mourned. During the luncheon, the co-chairs honored Lila Bonner and Wynne Naylor, two of the young Camp Mystic campers who lost their lives in the devastating floods in July. Their mothers, Caitlin Bonner and Alli Naylor, are Kappa sisters.

Goff also announced the creation of the Sterling Oles O’Hara Scholarship Award, established by O’Hara’s Kappa sisters in honor of their friend, who lost her battle with breast cancer in April. The scholarship provides support to cover Kappa membership dues for an active member who “exemplifies the values of sisterhood, leadership, and integrity that Sterling so gracefully embodied.”

Following a classic DCC lunch (pecan-crusted chicken, of course!), Kimberly Whitman led a charming conversation with the refined Lauder, who speaks with elegance and precision. Lauder, who visited the Kappa Kappa Gamma house at Southern Methodist University, remarked, “I love that there are so many different generations in the room that embrace tablescapes.” The conversation ranged from Lauder’s background and the genesis of her eponymous beauty and home decor brand to holiday entertaining tips from her homes in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida, where Lauder hosts Christmas.

A few favorite tidbits I gleaned from the conversation:

• An important piece of advice that the beauty icon offered to her granddaughter: “You have one face; take care of it.”
• When Lauder would get in her grandmother’s car, “the whole space would smell like Bulgarian rose.”
• When she started her beauty business, Estée Lauder would frequent beauty salons. While women were “trapped” under the hair dryer, she would rub lotion into their hands.
• Lauder’s grandmother was a marketing genius, whose mantras included, “Telephone, telegraph, tell a friend.”
• Estée Lauder “would have loved Instagram.”

Oh, and Lauder slipped in that she’s looking at spaces to open a Dallas store…

Finally, Lauder shared one of her grandmother’s entertaining philosophies, declaring that, “A party is a gift you give your friends.” Well, one thing’s for sure, the Kappa gals are excellent gift givers!

PC Spotted: Ellen Merriman, Margaux Blackwell, Mattie McGee, Pat Cooper, Holly Huffines, Sheri Krause, Becky McCamey, Amy Ware, Leslie Ware, Amy Burgher, Nicole Devlin, Trisha Dixon, Heather Furniss, Laura Neely, Lisa Troutt, Stacey Walker, Kay Sim, Krystal Davis, Frances Mitchell, Elizabeth Phillips, Morgan Pieper, and Katherine Sundby.