NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 14, 2006--The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) has announced the appointment of Jim Nevins to the position of Senior Vice President/Global Creative Director, for Clinique. He reports to Lynne Greene, Global President, Clinique. The appointment was effective July 1, 2006.

Mr. Nevins' new role marks his return to Clinique, where he was Senior Vice President/Creative Director from 1992 until 1999. While at Clinique, Mr. Nevins provided the creative vision for Clinique Happy, including the name, packaging and advertising, among other accomplishments.

"We are very pleased to have Jim back at Clinique at this important moment in the brand's history," said Ms. Greene. "He has an intuitive understanding of the Clinique consumer and is able to translate that vision into wonderfully inventive, dynamic concepts for advertising, packaging and merchandising, among many other things. We all look forward to working with him and to the contributions he is sure to make."

Since 2003, Mr. Nevins has been a key member of the BeautyBank team, directing the creative development of the division's five brands, including American Beauty, Flirt!, Good Skin(TM), Grassroots(TM) and Daisy Fuentes. He will retain these responsibilities, and continue to report to Jane Hertzmark Hudis, President of BeautyBank, in this capacity.

After leaving Clinique in 1999 to become Executive Vice President of Global Marketing for Gap Inc., Mr. Nevins rejoined The Estée Lauder Companies in 2001 as a senior member of the Estée Lauder brand's creative team. In that capacity, he supervised merchandising, store and package design, global brand operations and global creative services. Mr. Nevins also served as Senior Vice President, Creative Director, of J. Crew Inc. from 1990 to 1992.

Mr. Nevins succeeds Giovanni Russo, a consultant who had served as Clinique's Creative Director since July 2005. Mr. Russo will remain with The Estée Lauder Companies as a consultant, working on special projects.

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The Company's products are sold in over 130 countries and territories under well-recognized brand names, including Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Origins, M-A-C, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, La Mer, Donna Karan, Aveda, Jo Malone, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Michael Kors, Rodan + Fields, American Beauty, Flirt!, Good Skin(TM), Donald Trump the Fragrance, Grassroots(TM), Sean John, Missoni and Daisy Fuentes.

CONTACT: The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Media Relations: Sally Susman, 212-572-4430 or Investor Relations: Dennis D'Andrea, 212-572-4384 SOURCE: The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.