Aerin Lauder and Olivia Palermo hosted a dinner Thursday at Sant Ambroeus in the West Village to celebrate the holidays and the AERIN Fashion Accessories collection. Palermo, the iconic model, actress and style setter, is the face of the collection, which includes handbags and shoes that are handcrafted in Italy, as well as velvet and silk-satin scarves.
The chic hostesses greeted friends in the exquisitely lit space that had been turned into a winter wonderland, with Lauder's signature style punctuating the tables, including personalized hand calligraphed menus, delicate flower arrangements in silver tumblers, and traditional Christmas crackers filled with AERIN lip conditioner, perfume, and hand cream.
“We started AERIN in 2012 with beauty because that is my heritage, but accessories and home are my passion," said Lauder. "We built our brand around the idea that living beautifully should be effortless, so when we decided to expand, fashion accessories felt like a natural next step. Fashion accessories was a wonderful way to connect beauty and home, and handbags and shoes are the perfect product to make the AERIN lifestyle more visible to everyone."
Sporting an AERIN leopard pony skin clutch, Palermo perfectly embodied the AERIN woman, with her elegant, understated confidence.
"I love this piece," said Palermo. "The weekender is also one of my favorite pieces; I take it with me whenever I travel."
“Olivia’s personal style and sensibility has been an inspiration to me for a long time," said Lauder. "When I decided to create the fashion accessories collection, I knew she would perfectly embody the AERIN brand because she’s a reflection of me and the AERIN lifestyle. From the evening clutches to the travel bags, I think our collection represents what women really want – elegant, classic and feminine pieces that are practical and versatile. Women today want to feel inspired, and I think women all over the world want to be Olivia. It was important for me to work with someone that felt authentic to the brand and represented the modern woman of today.”
After feasting on tagliolini cacio e pepe and grilled branzino, guests, including Carolyn Murphy, Tabitha Simmons, Brett Heyman, Jane Lauder, Valerie Boster, Michael Kors, Daniel Romualdez, Gucci Westman, Miranda Brooks, Stellene Volandes, Rose Gilroy, and Simon Huck were sent home with Palermo's favorite leopard clutch. What a great way to begin the season.
