About Face! Aerin Lauder and Carolyn Murphy Celebrated Her 25 Years with Estée Lauder

On Thursday evening in East Hampton, Aerin Lauder and Carolyn Murphy came together to celebrate Murphy’s quarter-century as a global brand ambassador for Estée Lauder—a milestone the supermodel is still in disbelief over. “Becoming the face of Estée is still a pinch-me moment,” she told Vogue. “It still doesn’t totally make sense to me—even twenty-five years later.”

For the celebration, Murphy and Lauder invited their inner circle—Michael Kors, Roopal Patel, Joey Wolffer, Briony Raymond, Elizabeth Saltzman, and Pamela Tick, to name a few—along with their children to the historic Mulford Farm, where guests were greeted by green pastures and chilled Sancerre upon arrival.

As they made their way up the gravel path towards the barn, the room-temperature air and smell of fresh-cut grass immediately set the tone for a laidback evening. Servers made their rounds, handing out canapés like pigs in a blanket and cheese fritters, much to the delight of guests. As they mingled amongst the snowy white hydrangeas, attendees caught up on summer plans, swapping recommendations for farm stands with the best August corn and the restaurants worth stalking for a reservation. But mostly, the lawn belonged to Murphy, who spent the cocktail hour working the crowd as the unmistakable woman of the hour.

As Michael Kors arrived, she laughed with Vogue, sharing a trait the two of them share: “Michael and I are the same in that we really don’t like to leave our house, even though we’re extroverts. But we'll do it for each other.” That sentiment was intentional throughout the evening: “There are so many people here tonight who have been a big part of my life for so many years—since the ‘90s! We’ve all grown up together,” Murphy said. “What tonight represents for me, more than anything, is friendship. That’s what carries you through any full-circle moment, having those strong bonds, having those relationships.”

Once the sun began to set, attendees were invited to take their seat at one of the two long tables inside the softly-lit barn. As they found their name cards, they “oohed” and “aahed” at a setup undeniably Aerin-approved: a red bandana-inspired table cloth sat beneath whimsical white flowers, scallop-edged tableware, and low wine glasses. The consummate hostess then welcomed guests with a toast to Murphy: “She has become the brand, and the brand has become her,” Lauder shared. “She also looks exactly the same as she did in 2001, which is so upsetting. But, at least it shows the products are wonderful!”

Guests were served by waiters in matching crisp white button downs and dark-wash jeans (no stuffy uniforms Out East, it seems!) Their casual outfits created a backyard barbecue feel for the evening, and the menu re-emphasized this sentiment—with locally-grown salad, loaded-up burgers and fries, and cherry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream atop.

As the night wound down, guests said their goodbyes beneath the string of barn lights, lingering a few extra minutes before making their way back down the gravel path. Each left with a tote bag in tow, with the Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Eye Crème slipped in there, which many credited as their best-kept beauty secret. Murphy stood near the entrance saying her final thank yous and taking selfies, still glowing from an evening that felt less like an anniversary dinner than a reunion of her own making. And as cars began pulling out of the farm’s gravel lot one by one, it was clear the night had done exactly what a milestone is supposed to: partnerships, like friendships, only get better with age.

Aerin Lauder, Carolyn Murphy, Justin Boxford, Jane Hertzmark Hudis

Carolyn Murphy, Justin Boxford, Lance LePere