Exhibit 99.1

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

           Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes
and appoints each of Paul E. Konney, Spencer G. Smul, Moira A. Pastre, Nancy M.
Louden, Seth E. Herbert and Kerrian Thomas, signing singly, the undersigned's
true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1)        execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
           capacity as an officer and/or director of the Estee Lauder Companies
           Inc. (the "Company") or as a stockholder of the Company or as a
           trustee of a stockholder of the Company, Forms 3, 4, and 5 in
           accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of
           1934 and the rules thereunder;

(2)        do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
           which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such
           Form 3, 4, or 5, complete and execute any amendment or amendments
           thereto, and timely file such form with the United States Securities
           and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar authority;
           and

(3)        take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
           foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of
           benefit to, in the best interests of, or legally required by, the
           undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such
           attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power
           of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and
           conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
           attorney-in-fact's discretion.

           The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full
power and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights
and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned might or could do if personally present, with full power of
substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the
rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with, or liabilities that may arise
under, Section 16 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934.

           This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until
the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to
the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the
Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered
to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

           IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney
to be executed as of this 30 day of August, 2002.



                                               /s/ William Lauder
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               Signature



                                               William Lauder
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               Print Name