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Episode VIII: INTERIOR DESIGN with Aerin Lauder and Alfredo Paredes

Join interior design luminaries, Aerin Lauder and Alfredo Paredes, as they delve into the intricate world of design. Drawing from their tenures at Estée Lauder and Ralph Lauren, respectively, they share insights into their creative process, their lifelong passions, and how they infuse spaces with emotion and beauty.

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Aerin Lauder and Alfredo Paredes at the Assouline Madison Avenue boutique in New York City.

For the season one finale of the Culture Lounge Podcast, Lauder and Paredes come together for an intimate conversation at Assouline's Madison Avenue boutique to discuss all things home, design, and personal style. 

Lauder, who spent more than two decades working as the style and image director at Estée Lauder, later founded AERIN, her own lifestyle brand specializing in home decor and beauty. Paredes, with over 30 years of experience at Ralph Lauren serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, followed his lifelong dream to start his own design studio, one that specializes in interiors for private residences, restaurants, and hotels. 

Tune into the design episode to discover their best advice, how to design a space that lasts, and their experiences in the world of interiors.

EPISODE VIII: INTERIOR DESIGN with Aerin Lauder and Alfredo Paredes

On Their Design Processes

Lauder: "I don't always refer to the same thing for inspiration. Sometimes it's a destination, sometimes it is a movie, sometimes it's a photograph or a friend. Inspiration comes from anywhere."

Paredes: "I'm from the era where you would be in a design studio and someone would have to go and get books and rip out pages of magazines, but I love Pinterest, it's really helpful for clients because you can share it with them."

On Working At Fortune 500 Companies

Paredes: "I remember when Ralph said to me one time, I want to put teddy bears on mannequins’ heads. And I was like, “For real?” And I took the challenge. And then it became this thing that we do everywhere at Ralph Lauren stores." 

Lauder: "I always joke I was at Estée Lauder for 25 years, but I was probably there for 50 years because it was in my blood."

On Their Brands Today 

Lauder: "Our brand is very much about surprise and delight and it's a lot of storytelling, a lot of heritage, and it's very feminine." 

Paredes: "It's so important to dream. And people always say your life starts when your comfort level ends. And it's really important to take steps and challenges and do things outside your comfort zone because that’s what life is about."

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