Estée Lauder
Powder Compact: Mother of Pearl, gilded metal, glass
USA, mid-20th century
Museum Collection
Must Know
Estée Lauder (1908-2004) was a pioneering businesswoman in the cosmetics market and founder of her eponymous brand. Born Josephine Ester Menzer in the U.S., she founded Estée Lauder cosmetics in 1946. She became the only woman in Time Magazine’s list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century and won honors from the French government and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. Some commentators have put her initial success down to the emphasis she put on the design of her products’ lavish packaging. Before she entered this market most cosmetic products were sold in simple packages. her sons Leonard and Ronald now head the company she founded and are active in different Jewish Institutions to which they donate generously.
