Shirley Lord, a longtime Vogue contributing editor and beauty expert, reflects on her friendship with Leonard Lauder after his passing on June 15. She first met Leonard and his charming wife Evelyn decades ago in her London home—she can’t recall the exact year, but remembers it was during her early career as beauty director for British Harper’s Bazaar and a columnist for the Evening Standard. At the time, she never imagined she’d later move to America, become Vogue’s beauty director, and gain U.S. citizenship.

That evening, her young sons burst into the room, knocking over snacks and playfully wrestling—much to Leonard’s delight. “Just like our kids back home,” he said warmly, settling comfortably into the sofa. Family meant everything to him, including his devotion to his parents, Joe and Estée Lauder. Though Joe and Estée had separated, Joe returned home for good after hearing young Leonard was ill.

Few realized that from the start, Leonard and his mother had an agreement: he would run the company entirely, building the Estée Lauder brand while she served as its face. He once told Shirley that business decisions were his alone—no debate allowed. His innovative marketing strategies, now industry standards, included gifts with purchase, holiday-themed packaging, and seasonal makeup collections.

After Shirley innocently shared a product idea with Estée over lunch, Leonard called in a panic: “Please don’t give my mother any ideas! It could wreck our annual budget.” She later learned every product’s cost even factored in factory lighting. Though she grew close to Estée, she never dared suggest another product.

Over the years, Leonard occasionally visited Vogue, engaging not just the beauty team but the entire staff with his warmth and curiosity about how they worked. As everyone agreed, his approachable, witty nature made them wish he could be their boss—or at least one of them.