You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the design world who is not familiar with Alexa Hampton. The interior designer honed her skills working with her late father – the iconic American decorator Mark Hampton – and eventually took over his design firm, Mark Hampton LLC, which she currently runs. While she may have been born into the business, her talent as an interior designer has not gone unnoticed; Over the past decade, she has been named one of the top 100 interior designers and decorators by New York Magazine, House Beautiful and Architectural Digest, which has included Hampton on it’s list every year since 2002 – not to mention that many of her projects have been featured on the magazine’s cover.

She has also designed collections for Kravet Fabrics, Hickory Chair, and Stark Carpet, to name a few. Most recently, Hampton was selected to be the interior designer for the Trowbridge House, the new official guest house for former presidents of the United States in Washington, D.C. Here, Hampton tells us about her prized possessions – her books – and about how they inspire her brilliant design work everyday.

What is your heirloom?  Tell us how you came to own this precious object. Was it something you grew up with? If so, did you appreciate it then as you do now?

My heirlooms are my books. I love them dearly. I love to read them, reread them and refer back to them. All kinds of books make me happy, including digital books. I come from a thoroughly bookish family, so I have always loved books. I hope to keep the tradition going with my own kids.

How do you live with your heirloom?  Is it somewhere you can enjoy it every day?

My books surround me at home and at work. After I read them, I use them as reference material. They are also a big part of the decoration of my apartment. They bring color and personality.

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?

Certainly, my family and my father, in particular. These days, my clients have a huge impact on me.

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at _________, I can’t help but smile.

My children. Yum!

What’s the best part of your day? What makes it so special?

I usually wake up in bed with three uninvited guests – my sons (both 5 years old) and my daughter (3 years old) sandwiched between my husband and me. So mornings are among the best time of the day. At night, it’s story time, and that’s pretty special too.

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

Whenever my kids have a birthday or it’s Christmas, I like to joke that I gave them the gift of life, so I’m off the hook, but it’s just a joke, of course.

My favorite gift that I received – that is a thing – would be my engagement ring because it’s beautiful and it’s from my beloved husband.

What was your last purchase that you believe (or hope) will mean something to you 10 years from now? What makes it significant?

I bought myself 3 pretty rings, each inscribed with my children’s name in them. As long as my fingers stop growing (I have astonishingly big man hands), I hope to be wearing them 10 years from now.

And on the book front, I just bought the new [Robert] Massie biography of Catherine the Great. I love all his books.

A fashion industry veteran with a twenty year career, Editor-in-Chief of Essence Magazine Constance White has left her mark on nearly every major fashion publication, from Women’s Wear Daily and the New York Times, to Glamour and Elle, where she served as Executive Fashion Editor. Described by Essence President Michelle Ebanks as “A visionary and consummate communicator,” White has proven to be just that. Prior to her appointment as the Editor-in-Chief of Essence, she served as the style director, brand consultant and spokesperson for Ebay, where she was responsible for creating the company’s first online magazine. She is also the author of the ground-breaking book Stylenoir, described as “the first how-to fashion guide with black women in mind.” Here, she shares her heirloom with us, two inherited dessert dishes that were a wedding gift to her parents, who married in the 1950′s.

What is your heirloom?  Tell us how you came to own this precious object. Was it something you grew up with? If so, did you appreciate it then as you do now?

Two matching cut glass coral dessert dishes. I grew up with the bowls. They were part of a set that was brought out to use on special occasions. They were a wedding gift to my parents.

How do you live with your heirloom?  Is it in your home, office, or elsewhere? Which room? Is it somewhere you can enjoy it every day?

My heirloom is locked away in the highest reaches of my kitchen cabinets so no one can reach and break them.

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste? 

My mother was a big influence. Diana Ross, Angela Davis and women on the street are an inspiration to me.

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at _my kids_, I can’t help but smile. (Why?)  

They are a miracle of life right in front of my eyes. And sometimes they’re funny.

What’s the best part of your day? What makes it so special?

When I finish the day. I feel a sense of accomplishment. And it’s sometimes a period of peace and reflection.

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received? Why?

My wedding ring. But also experiences for my mom or my kids. I think you remember time together doing something, forever.

What was your last purchase that you believe (or hope) will mean something to you 10 years from now? What makes it significant?

It’s a carved wood head. I bought two – one man and one woman – and gave one to my Dad and the other to my then boyfriend – now husband. My husband still has his and whenever I look at it, it reminds me of our love and of my late Dad.

There are certain women who have not only paved the way for women in the beauty industry, but for women entrepreneurs as well. Trish McEvoy would be one of them. She founded her eponymous line of makeup products when she was twenty-five, subsequently turning it into a multi-million dollar company within five years. She has since become an icon and innovator in the industry, having launched one of the countries first medispas (The Dr.Ronald Sherman/Trish McEvoy Skin Care Center in New York) and creating the iconic Makeup Planner, a patented beauty organizer for the modern woman. Here, she takes a moment to tell us about her most prized heirloom: a beautiful pen given to her by her mother.

John Demsey, the Group President of Estee Lauder Companies, has been an influential figure in the cosmetics business for over twenty years. Currently, he oversees the MAC, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, La Mer and Tom Ford brands – to name a few. A great part of his success comes from his amazing ability to transform a brand into a powerhouse while still remaining true to its heritage. Here, he tells us about an important part of his heritage: A mirror that belonged to his great grandmother, passed onto him from his grandfather.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.

The mirror was the possession of my maternal fathers mother. My great grandmother brought it to the states from Russia after the first world war. It was in my grandfathers apartment when he passed 20 years ago and willed to me.

How do you live with your heirloom?

My heirloom mirror hangs over the fire place in my study with portraits of my daughter underneath.

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?

My mother, who is a fine painter, has had the greatest influence on my personal style.

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at __________ I can’t help but smile.

My daughter, Marie Helene.

What’s the best part of your day?

Coffee in the morning reading the Post.

Describe your ideal day.

My ideal day is pool side with family and friends in Los Angeles.

What is your favorite place to shop for antique/vintage pieces?

1st Dibs.

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

A vintage Audemar watch from my dad on my 16th birthday.

What was your last purchase that you believe will mean something to you 10 years from now?

A Buccelatti silver monkey.

Though she barely looks old enough, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff is already a legend in the fashion world. The first-ever fashion director of Lincoln Center New York’s Fashion Week, Winston Wolkoff is also a veteran of Vogue where she worked as an Events Director for over a decade. Winston Wolkoff is also the granddaughter of Harry Winston and a mother of three. Today, this amazing woman shares her most precious possession with MRKStyle—listen in.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.

For my 16th birthday, my mother gave me a diamond pave heart necklace. Not only was the simple heart a perfect example of timeless jewelry, but the necklace had been gifted to my mother by her mother, which makes it that much more important to me.

How do you live with your heirloom?

Whenever I wear my necklace, it’s my way of carrying a bit of my mom’s heart with mine. I like to think that it gives me a fraction of her wisdom and patience.

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?

My mother’s style is the paradigm of eternal elegance; it’s from her that I learned not to pile on trend after trend. Dress for your body type and your lifestyle and you’ll always look stylish. That faultless advice is what’s gotten me through almost 30 seasons at designer shows. I’ve been able to successfully avoid neon without regret because of her! I know how to incorporate what works and ignore what doesn’t and because of that she’s my daily inspiration.

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at __________ I can’t help but smile.

My kids. Their creativity and kindness never cease to amaze me. The three of them really look out for each other, and, as a mom, there’s nothing more gratifying than seeing them running around together—three musketeers. I love that.

What’s the best part of your day?

I have an ambitious day-to-day schedule, so while family is always the top priority, my routine has a decidedly busy rhythm. Because of that, my favorite part of the day is those moments just before I put my kids to bed. School, work, sports, playtime—it all adds up to a lot of beautiful chaos. But just-before-bed togetherness is the one time of day that we all really get to enjoy each other.

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

My Bruce Winston wedding band definitely tops the memorable gift list. To have my father design the wedding band that was given to me by my husband was such a unique privilege. The ring itself is beautiful, but the meaning behind it makes it unforgettable.

What was your last purchase that you believe will mean something to you 10 years from now?

I’ve spent my entire professional career surrounded by breathtaking objects, so I’ve learned not only to appreciate the exquisite, but also to recognize the priceless quality of something that comes with a special meaning. For my 40th birthday, my amazing friends (you know who you are!) found me a pair of Marina B. vintage chokers that I already know I’ll treasure forever. Someday, my daughter, Alexi, will enjoy them, and passing them on to her will truly make them an heirloom.

Tell us about this precious object:
My grandmother used to wear beaded necklaces with her pearls. I was always mesmerized by those necklaces and her style. No matter what she was wearing, I was drawn to her face and her jewelry.

How do you live with your heirloom?
I wear my beads layered and stacked all the time. Not only does it remind me of my grandmother, but it gives me something to twist, twirl and clutch when I am on the phone or at my desk.

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style?
I am inspired by many. Of course my mother is a lover of jewelery, so that’s in my genes. I also adore the book The Power of Style. I read it all the time. The one thing that always strikes me is that many of the women who I admire were not classic beauties in the true sense of the word. It was their intrinsic sense of style that propelled them into the public eye.

[Fill in the blank] Whenever I look at________, I can’t help but smile.
My family and our miniature schnauzer Izzie.

What’s the best part of your day?
I am a morning person. I love it when the sun comes up and pushes darkness out of corners. A cup of coffee and a few moments alone is pure bliss.

What’s the most memorable gift you’ve ever received?
My engagement ring. My husband proposed on my favorite night of the year: Christmas Eve.

Session Notes from Monica: “The blurry effect here was achieved by focusing the camera and then moving it quickly as I shot Ronda’s pearls. The reason Ithought the blurriness would be interesting was because Ronda kept talking about how her grandmother always twirled and played with her necklaces. I love how unexpected the picture turned out.”

Working for Nightline, Jennings covered the regions of Africa, Europe and the Middle East, before she relocated to Atlanta to cover the American South and national social policy. Additionally, she has worked for 20/20, PJ Productions and, since 2006, The Documentary Group, where she is co-founder. Recently, she co-edited the oral biography, Peter Jennings: A Reporter’s Life and created the Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Here, the accomplished newswoman and humanitarian talks about how she came to possess her most cherished possession: a pair of classic pearl earrings.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.

“The pearls belonged to my grandmother. She didn’t have much money or many things but she had impeccable taste so those few things she had— several French antiques, two cashmere sweaters, her pearls—were just perfect. She was also frugal. So, instead of the usual two earrings, she had three. That way, if she lost one, she’d still have a matching pair. She never lost one. I did, but I still have a matching pair. When I wear the earrings, I feel very connected to my grandmother and her values, which were as impeccable as her taste.”

How do you live with your heirloom?

“The earrings are in a box with my other pearls: beautiful earrings from my sister, and a necklace that my husband bought in Hong Kong when he was there reporting on the handover from Britain to China. I love them all, and they are all meaningful, but my grandmother’s earrings mean the most.”

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style?

“I’m not sure I have as much personal style as I’d like. Well, I am sure, actually, I don’t. Both my grandmother and my mother had terrific style, though my grandmother was more conservative and traditional. She believed in the perfection of the French antique  and, perhaps, she didn’t feel she could afford to make mistakes. My mother is more creative, takes more risks. She believes in mixing styles, especially when it comes to interior design. She’s always had great confidence in her own taste. As a child, I remember that she used to push my sister and me to be more daring—to shorten our skirts further. No matter how short, they were always too long for her! To wear more leather—or fake leather, anyway. To wear bolder and funkier jewelry. I’m still much more conservative in style than I, and my mother, would like me to be.”

Fill in the blank: Whenever I look at________, I can’t help but smile.

“My Airedale, Harper Lee. She’s just so bloody adorable and comforting, even if she is often infuriatingly diffident.”

What’s the best part of your day?

“First thing in the morning, between 6 and 7, when I’m in Central Park with my dog. In the summertime, there’s that gorgeous early morning glow; in the winter, the dawn bounces off the snow and there’s a wonderful, enveloping hush. It’s very, very peaceful. It’s when I really notice the extraordinary beauty of the Park.”

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

“It was a gift I was never given. But it was an ingenious idea: shares in a Russian chocolate factory. I’m a very serious chocoholic. It’s a genetic condition and runs happily through my father’s side of the family. My husband didn’t really understand the addiction, but appreciated that it was real. So when the former Soviet Union started privatizing in earnest, and Peter heard that the State was selling off one of the big chocolate companies, he thought he’d found the perfect birthday present for me. He had, but he wasn’t able to make it happen in time. I think he gave me a digital camera instead. A consolation prize, but a pretty good one—even if it wasn’t chocolate!”

What was your last purchase that you believe will mean something to you 10 years from now?

“A piece of Inuit art. I have a very modest collection of Inuit art and I recently bought another sculpture by Barnabus, a carver whose work I particularly love. One of the reasons I love Inuit sculpture is that it is so tactile—you want to touch it and it’s often meant to be touched. With the exception of some pieces that depict a shaman or transformation, which I avoid, I find it extraordinarily soothing. The very first piece of art I ever bought myself was an Inuit print I found on the way back from a trip to the Arctic. I still have it. When I met my husband, who was Canadian, he already had quite a bit of Inuit art, so it was great fun to continue to collect it together.”

Gorgeous, blond, lithe and with a reputation for impeccable, elegant style, the actress—who shares on-screen DNA with Blake Lively—makes no secret of the fact that family is the center of her busy world. Here, Rutherford takes pause in front of her most treasured objets to talk motherhood and collecting for the home.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.
I went to a Marlene Dietrich auction at Sotheby’s years ago. Everyone wanted the clothes, of course. I stayed and bid on the screen and a triangle-shape side table—a gift from Dietrich’s friend Ernest Hemingway. I’ve had the pieces ever since.

How do you live with your heirloom?
The screen is used behind the B&B Italia sofa, so we look at it everyday. I’ve been too busy to hang it on the wall!

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?
Actresses like Catherine Deneuve and Grace Kelly. Vogue magazine in all its foreign edition languages. Oh, and my mother!

[Fill in the blank] Whenever I look at _________ I can’t help but smile.
My children, Hermes and Helena.

What’s the best part of your day?
Cuddling with my children wherever we are. Hearing their voices. Hearing the word “Mama.”

What’s the most memorable gift you’ve ever received?
My children’s artwork. In fact, I’m making a whole wall of it.

What was your last purchase that you hope will mean something to you 10 years from now?
My Hermes bags. Not only are they a great investment, but my daughter will love them.

Fashion trends are far from the only topics at the forefront of Leive’s mind. The mother of two is also a champion of women’s issues. In 2008, she received a White House Project EPIC Award for an article about ordinary woman changing the world in extraordinary ways. She also annually honors incredible females at Glamour‘s Women of the Year Awards, which in 2005 shed the spotlight on Mukhtar Mai—the brave Pakistani woman who used her compensation from a terrible tragedy to open a small school. In 2006, Leive won an award for her activism in bringing this heroine to the United States.

Here, Leive shares with us her precious family heirloom and childhood dreams of becoming a glamorous reporter.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.

“My heirloom is a Knabe piano—from Germany, probably made around the turn of the last century—that belonged to my grandmother Clara Leive. It had been given to her by her husband, my grandfather, when they lived in the Bronx without a lot of room or money; I think it was one of their few luxuries.

I love it for lots of reasons. First, because Granny gave it to my father and mother, and after they divorced, it was one of the few objects from “my father’s side” that stayed in my mom’s house. I liked it because it, like me, had roots in both sides. Then, it was in storage for years while I lived in apartments too tiny to house it, and when I finally landed a place large enough for the piano, I felt like I was actually a grownup. Today it’s the centerpiece of our house, and my kids play it obsessively.”

How do you live with your heirloom?

“I live in a townhouse, and the piano sits in the middle of the parlor floor, which means it is smack in the epicenter of the house. It gets played every day by someone, though usually not by me!”

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?

“I could never pin it down to just one person. My mother influenced my style even though she didn’t care about fashion in the least; she cultivated a kind of mad-scientist aesthetic (glasses, crazy curly hair) that I think taught me that loving how you look is more important than looking perfect.

As a kid and wannabe reporter I cut out Brenda Starr comic strips and hung them on my wall: I thought her long wavy red hair, crisp shoulder-padded suits and reporter’s notebook were the most glamorous combination in the world.”

[Fill in the blank] Whenever I look at ___“My two kids”___I can’t help but smile. “Duh! Because I love them, but also because they’re funny.”

What’s the best part of your day?

“I like the moment in the morning when I’ve come back from a run, and am having a cup of coffee with a kid on my lap. I don’t love the actual exercising; but I really like it when it’s over! ”

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

“My uncle, father and stepmother recently found an old recording of me goofing around playing piano with my grandmother (the same one) when I was 10 and made it into a CD. In the recording, we are cracking up, completely hysterical, singing a Gilbert & Sullivan song. I listened to it and felt like I was in the room again—amazing.”

What was your last purchase that you believe (or hope) will mean something to you 10 years from now?

“Well, much as I love my iPad, I’m pretty sure it won’t be the latest greatest thing in 10 years! I’m going to go with my house. My husband and I moved our family to Brooklyn three years ago and spent a lot of time thinking about what our dream house would look like. I still feel really happy when I walk through the door at night.”

The restaurateur, two-time cookbook author, and now Huffington Post columnist splits his time between the two restaurants, which both feature fine art decorating the walls and some 800 labels of award-winning wine from around the globe. When McCarty is in town, it’s not unlikely to see the incredibly hospitable French-trained chef walking around and shaking hands with guests, many of which you may recognize, including Paul Newman, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Warren Buffet, Katie Couric and Lance Armstrong.

Here, McCarty lets us into his wonderful world of food, wine, art, and people.

Tell us how you came to own this precious object.

“My 1971 Dobro National steel-bodied fingerpicking guitar is the only heirloom that survived the big 1993 Malibu fire when our house burned down. My wife and I lost everything we owned. Thank god this guitar was at my brother’s house or else it would have been a puddle of zinc.

I’ve had the guitar since the early 1970s when I lived in Paris. I would fly to New York often to buy four or five Martin guitars, take them to Paris and sell them to help finance my education at the Ecole Hotelière, the Cordon Bleu, and the Academy du Vin. When I saw this one in my last batch of guitars that I was taking over, I knew I had to keep it. It’s a stunning guitar.”

How do you live with your heirloom?

“All of my guitars—about a dozen total—are in my son, Chas’, room in our house in Malibu. He is a very good guitar player and loves to jam with me and my older brothers—one plays the base and the other the piano. Right now, the Dobro is here in NY. I think I’m going to keep it here.

Every time I see it sitting on its stand, I remember the good old days in Paris and Amsterdam, where I traveled and played music with my brother. We performed in the metro, on the streets, and in the clubs for three years. We play very infrequently now, mainly family gatherings. I have a couple of friends who are musicians. When we get together, we cook, eat, drink and play.”

Who in your life has most influenced your personal style and taste?

“My mother and my father were consummate entertainers. My most vivid memories were of them and their friends having these great parties. That’s why I got into the restaurant business.

There was always an emphasis on the quality of the food. My mother had this one Portuguese fisherman who brought the best swordfish and striped bass—the kinds of stuff that didn’t exist in supermarkets in the 1950s. It was an early education in quality ingredients, which is now all the rage.”

[Fill in the blank] Whenever I look at ___“my wife”___I can’t help but smile.

“We met in Boulder, CO, where I stopped to see my brother after returning to the U.S. from France. I ended up staying and teaching French cooking and French at a local university.

For the final exam, nine students had to cook 2 courses each. All of my students were allowed to bring one guest. One brought her roommate, Kim. I made the dessert: a raspberry souffle with passionfruit crème anglaise. She loved it and I loved her. She’s still eating with me 35 years later.”

What’s the best part of your day?

“I think the best times for me is when I’m sitting down at the table with great people and enjoying a meal—same thing that my parents did when I was little. In fact, I just started writing about these meals for the Huffington Post.” (Check out McCarty’s column, “Meal Periods,” here).

What was the most memorable gift you’ve ever given or received?

“I would say my collection of contemporary art, featuring established artists like Jasper Johns, David Hockney, and Frank Stella as well as young, up and coming talents. A lot of them were gifts from artists or gifts Kim, a professional painter, and I had given each other. Every piece has a story, person or place attached to it. They were all in my restaurants—I had five at the time—when our house burned down.”

What was your last purchase that you believe (or hope) will mean something to you 10 years from now?

“Since the fire, we have so very few permanent things anymore. Most everything I buy now is edible. As my wife would say, ‘I could have bought two pairs of shoes for that meal.’ The shoes wear out, but the memories last forever.”