From Goop to gavel: Gwyneth Paltrow’s wardrobe clearout heads to auction

A customised sunhat. A slogan sweatshirt. A “mom” necklace. An old copy of Cosmopolitan. If these sound like items found in many homes today, they’re actually the castoffs of a household name: Gwyneth Paltrow.
Next week, nearly 300 pieces owned by Paltrow will be on sale as part of an auction at Julien’s, the Los Angeles auction house that has sold big-ticket items such as Marilyn Monroe’s so-called “naked” dress and the leather jacket worn by Olivia Newton-John in Grease. But, while those items went for six-figure prices, Paltrow’s sale is a little more affordable, with estimates starting at about $50 (£37) to $75 (£56) for some of Paltrow’s personalised stationery.
At the time of writing, a Dolce & Gabbana 2001 T-shirt with the slogan “Material Girl” has attracted 16 bids, including one of $800 (£598). A RED Valentino jumpsuit is already at $600 (£449). And someone has put a $700 (£523) bid on Paltrow’s “mom” necklace. A Goop black jumpsuit is currently only on $50, however. And two photos of her ex-husband Chris Martin and his band Coldplay have had a bid of $100. More bids are expected in the run-up to the auction on Tuesday.
The auction was prompted by a fire at a storage facility and a house move. Paltrow told Vogue she wished she “could just have a huge garage sale” and some of the items she is selling – as part of a larger auction entitled Bold Luxury – aren’t that far from that idea. There are lots of pieces from her brand Goop G Label, glasses frames and costume jewellery.
Martin Nolan, a co-founder of Julien’s, says it shows “even a celebrity like Gwyneth Paltrow has their stuff … It was very important to her that this not appear an elitist type of auction.” As for many, Paltrow’s house move prompted a new pledge against clutter. “Her mantra going forward is: ‘If I get something new, I’m letting something go,’” Nolan adds.
Hannah Jackson, a fashion writer at US Vogue, spoke to Paltrow about the auction. She says the more prosaic items go against type: “Culturally, we have a tendency to put celebrities on a pedestal, but that doesn’t exempt them from needing everyday items. Just because she owns sweaters, prescription glasses and coasters doesn’t make her inherently relatable.”
There are also, of course, items that do speak to the life of an A-lister – the Atelier Versace gown Paltrow wore to the Country Music Awards in 2010, or a 1999 Christian Dior dress designed by John Galliano. Jackson is particularly taken with the grey Gianni Versace two-piece from 1999, which Paltrow wore to the White House. “Not only is it a gorgeous piece of vintage, she wore it for an exceptional, memorable occasion,” she says.
Nolan believes this auction would be a good introduction to those who want to start collecting. “Gwyneth is still with us and will be wearing beautiful pieces for many, many years to come,” he argues. “Compare that to someone like Marilyn Monroe … Her stuff goes [for high prices] because there’s a finite amount of items out there.”