Did Lauder ever stop selling in her prime? She would give her famous friends and acquaintances small samples of her products for their handbags; she wanted her brand in the hands of people who were known for having "the best." Early in my career at Vogue she invited me to lunch. Before the meal was finished, she made sure to give me three chicken recipes to help me interest the man I hoped to marry. (And did.)

She personified the mantra of "think globally, act locally." You can't get any more local than Estée Lauder's turning up at Saks on a Saturday, showing the sales staff how to give customers personal attention and a free gift. The latter promotion, by the way, proved to be a work of utter genius. Now an army of young women and men, exquisitely turned out and properly trained, do the same in every department store that's worthy of the brands.

The global enterprise of the Estée Lauder Cos. is centered on the 40th floor of the General Motors Building in Manhattan. Here the realm of very Big Business meets the world of Estee Lauder — focused, refined, every woman's dream office. It has been the office of a businesswoman and mother, where work and family mingled seamlessly for decades in a major corporation — the Holy Grail of many working women today (her grandchildren are in key positions). Carol Phillips, who founded the Clinique line for the company, describes Lauder's management style as highly creative. She conducted business in subtly elegant comfort. "Her conference room was like a dining room, and everything was perfect. In the office were all the pleasant things that go with running a household."

And what households she did have. Estée Lauder loved to "entertain," as giving large dinner parties was once called. She enjoyed "beautiful people" — celebrities, the rich and famous — and could invite them to dine with her at a table that could seat 30 without extensions. The food and the wines, lovely. She didn't miss a thing. She learned as she grew up. She watched; she enjoyed her world.

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