Estée Lauder Celebrates 20 Iconic Years With Carolyn Murphy

 

For 20 years, Carolyn Murphy has served as a—if not the—face of Estée Lauder, imbuing her all-American looks and charm into the heritage beauty brand’s iconic campaigns. “We’re in New York where it all began,” Murphy told Vogue last night inside French restaurant Majorelle on 63rd street, where Leonard and Aerin Lauder hosted an intimate dinner in honor of the milestone anniversary. “When I did the test shoot 20 years ago, I knew as soon as she walked in, and after speaking to her and seeing her beauty, that she was the perfect face,” recalls Aerin, creative director of Estée Lauder, of their first meeting. “20 years later, she still is.”Beautiful, elegant, strong, and wise are just a few of the words that Aerin used to describe Murphy as guests—including Jessica Stam, Paloma Elsesser, and Paul Andrew—began arriving to toast the veteran supermodel. “She embodies all of that and grows into the role more and more, which is quite extraordinary,” she continued, adding that she’s cultivated countless memories with Murphy over their two-decades-long friendship, from surfing in Costa Rica to sipping martinis at the Beverly Hills Hotel and vintage shopping with Steven Meisel in L.A.“Every single person here has played a huge part of my life personally and professionally,” said Murphy, wearing a sleek black Jonathan Simkhai dress with polished blonde waves swept over one shoulder, as she emphasized the relationships she’s built with both Aerin and executive group president Jane Hertzmark Hudis. And while Murphy’s over 30-year career counts many highlights, from major couture catwalks to unforgettable editorials, her partnership with Estée Lauder continues to be a pinnacle for her as a woman, mother, and philanthropist.

 

“I grew up with the brand and have had all these rites of passage throughout my life,” said Murphy of her long-standing ties to the house that Estée built, from playing with her nana’s gold tubes of lipstick to stealing her mom’s White Linen perfume, to eventually starring in the Beautiful fragrance ad campaigns she once poured over as a teenager. “I had worn Beautiful since I was in high school and remembered the ads with Paulina Porizkova….and then there I was in them all a sudden,” Murphy, who made sure to send each guest home with a bottle of sparkling floral Beautiful, reminisced with a smile. “There are so many markers throughout my life and with the brand. It’s still a pinch-me moment. It always feels like a dream come true.”The most luxurious silk gifts naturally stand the test of time. As Phoebe Bridgers and MUNA’s everywhere-right-now single, “Silk Chiffon,” plays through speakers this season with lyrics that sing the fabric’s praises, it serves as a reminder that right now, all anyone wants is something that feels good: Silky pajama bottoms and boxers have led the TikTok #softpants movement for a reprieve from tailored seams. Silk scarves have returned to runways (like Gucci’s star-studded Hollywood catwalk) and holiday getaways as fashionable accessories. Silk cases have created a recent Pillow 2.0 movement thanks to their hair and skin benefits, and beauty products from Chanel to Tatcha are infusing silk fibers into formulas. There’s suddenly a silky solution for everything, it seems.

 

 

 

“Silk as a bio fabric is the most skin-friendly fabric,” says Lilysilk brand lead Wendy Zhang, noting that “Queen of Fiber” is a nickname for mulberry silk often seen on labels. “Our silk is sourced from Mulberry trees, which require less water than cotton to grow, and they are not sprayed with pesticides to protect the soil,” says Zhang. Many silk enthusiasts are grappling with the impact of production on silkworms, so for those in the business now, making it a less wasteful process moving forward is key. Zhang adds that the company uses silk scraps from larger pieces to create accessories for a zero-waste goal. And that logic makes even more sense when, on a recent Zoom press call, I caught wind of news that silk may be one of many materials that will be increasingly difficult to purchase—and soon. “Unlike other fabrics, silk is very limited in where it is produced around the world, and because of current overwhelming demand from consumers coupled with a pending energy crisis, the supply will be limited in the coming months,” says Guido Campello, co-CEO of Journelle. It’s an essential element in the business of fashion, especially loungewear. “Even though silk is the toughest natural fiber found in nature, people love how soft and luxurious it feels,” he says of the logic for its use as the first layer against skin, whether in the form of Tom Ford’s boxer shorts or a starting point for the moment’s crystal-encrusted fashions. And for those that prefer vintage, it’s built to last.