Angelica Cheung (Editor-in-Chief, Vogue China)

 ‘A red dress my mother made for me when I was a teenager. I haven’t worn it in over 20 years, but I will always keep it.’

Tory Burch (Designer, New York Fashion Week)

 ‘A sunflower pendant my father had made for his mother.’

Sarah Rutson (Vice President, Global Buying at Net-a-Porter)

‘It’s a family signet ring, a very large signet ring which was unusual for a woman, it comes from about 1720, so it was a great great great great grandmother, and she was a very bold dresser’

Anna Dello Russo (creative consultant, Vogue Japan)

‘I collect clothes…it’s not about this piece, another piece…all of them are a treasury. It’s an entire collection…’

Mary Katrantzou (Designer, London fashion week)

‘I’d say my Alaia dress. It has really intricate embroidery in it, and comes out for very very special events. I only wore it to see the Queen and to the British Fashion Awards. And a pair of Miu Miu earring’

Jenna Lyons (Creative Director and President, J Crew)

‘My ten-year-old Okura jeans’

Aerin Lauder (Senior Vice President and Creative Director, Estee Lauder)

‘My Tiffany gold wedding band’

Photo courtesy of businessoffashion.com, Noah Griffel, Vogue

AERIN Bronzer - I love bronzer. I use it all over my face for a natural glow.

AERIN Gold Essentials Bangle – my mother always wears her bracelets stacked, a custom that has been passed on to me.

AERIN Beach Rose Lip Gloss - Beach Rose was designed exclusively for my AERIN Southampton store. It has just the right amount of color.

AERIN Small Summer Makeup Bag - I love my signature geometric batik print for summer. And the bag is the perfect size, it holds everything I need for a summer holiday.

AERIN Oliver Peoples Sunglasses – a necessary accessory.

Favorite Holiday destination: The beach is my favorite summer holiday destination. I always have a few essentials I bring; a neutral lip gloss, bronzer and gold accessories. They are all extremely versatile and must-haves for any warm holiday.

As we embark on summer, we thought we’d highlight three Kotur Muses for you, three women who, when it comes to living life, know a thing or two about doing it with grace, style and a heavy dose of brilliant individuality as shown in our picks from their summer collections in the gallery above.  Stay tuned for more Muses throughout the summer months, but for now we will leave you with Tory Burch, Aerin Lauder and Jenna Lyons: true beacons of style, and women who do it all their very own way, and rather brilliantly. We hope you find as much inspiration both clicking through our current picks from their collections and reading their Kotur Muse questions as we do.

Read all of our Kotur Muses here

Pictures: Jenna Lyons, plus J Crew’s Looks we Love for summer available at www.jcrew.com

Aerin Lauder, small cream jewellery box $790 and Ram’s Murex Shell $340 both available here http://www.aerin.com/Objet/8,default,sc.html

Tory Burch and her Walton Pant and matching Tory tunic, plus her classic grosgrain fedora available at www.toryburch.com

Having known Aerin Lauder since our childhood together in Manhattan, from the schoolyard and on play-dates with my sister Alexandra, it is the woman that she has become today that inspires me, a great hands-on mother, balancing and coping with the same issues as any woman working in the corporate world -myself included, and doing so with solid values – and an immaculate blow-dry – at all times.

KOTUR: Do you have a beauty secret?
Aerin: Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer, sleep and tons of water

K: What do you wear on a fat day?
A: Black pants and heels

K: How would your female friends describe your style?
A: Classic

K: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
A: My Tiffany gold wedding band

K: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
A: Old Levi’s

K: What do you never leave home without?
A: My blackberry

K: Name your desert island essentials?
A: Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess SPF 30 for Face, straw hat, Eres black bikini, my husband, my children, boogie boards

K: Hot date night with your husband, what do you wear?
A: Jeans and a blazer with a great piece of jewelry and a fun bag

K: Do you have a favorite bag?
A: The Collins penshell minaudiere from KOTUR, and a black Birkin bag for work or travel

K: When home alone, what do you wear?
A: My husband’s Old Charvet oxfords

K: You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Aerin: Wet hair to work

K: How high is too high a heel?
A: Never too high if you can walk properly

K: Are you ever too old for jeans?
A: Never too old for jeans

K: If you could live in any other time for it’s fashion, what would you choose?
A: 1920’s

K: What is your most recent purchase?
A: Lanvin beaded belt

K: What quality do you most admire in a person?
An: Honesty

KOTUR: Can you judge a book by its cover?
Aerin: Yes!

KOTUR: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Aerin: Cashmere scarves from Loro Piana

K: What are your guilty pleasures?
A: French fries

K: What are your bad habits?
A: Diet Coke in the morning

K: Do you have a cheap thrill?
A: Candy stores

K: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
A: Whatever you do, do it well. From my grandmother

KOTUR: What’s your favorite smell?
Aerin: Fresh gardenias

KOTUR: What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Aerin: Aspen for Christmas, with family and friends

KOTUR: What are you most proud of?
Aerin: My children

KOTUR: What are you least proud of?
Aerin: My children when they are naughty

K: What’s your pure bliss?
A: No plans for a day

K: What would you eat for your last supper?
A: Sushi

K: If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
A: Grace Kelly

K: Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
A: No

K: What would you most like to achieve in your life?
A: Helping children in education

KOTUR: Which of your Kotur bags you have is your favorite?
Aerin: My JB Renna Shagreen clutch

KOTUR: On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
Aerin: Hmmm, maybe a 7?