I have talked a lot about Goop on this blog. I think my fascination with Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle empire is because the entire company is built on the alchemy of personality. Goop isn’t so much a company as much as an aesthetic: The business plan may as well be an appreciation for cashmere sweaters and the rustic simplicity of turnips roasted in brown butter.
When I heard that Goop was opening a pop-up shop in Manhattan (open until Christmas Eve), I knew I needed to make the pilgrimage. Behold — Goop in the flesh.
The store’s design is loosely based on Gwyneth’s real-life Tribeca apartment. The furnishings were eclectic –along with the obligatory succulents and fresh flowers, there were flickering candles, exotic objets and Moroccan embroidered pillows.
The store also included a fridge filled with free beverages for shoppers (we snagged Smart Waters) and a kitchen stocked with goodies to peruse. (If this cooking range is anything like Gwyneth’s real kitchen, I am insane jealous.)
Among the items on offer? Coffee carafes, Staub cookware and a matcha tea set. I desperately wanted a few jars of Moon Juice powders, but my husband put his foot down. (Apparently, he doesn’t believe that drinking powdered pearl will improve our health.)
Then there were the clothes.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Goop and Valentino had collaborated on an exclusive capsule collection inspired by Wonder Woman. I saw the collection up close, and I can confirm that the star-strewn dresses and jackets are beautiful but insanely expensive and delicate — so much so, I feel that most of the clothes are unwearable. (I mean, would you really spend $10,000 on a completely transparent dress?)
However, I found a couple items that were truly wonderful, like this jumpsuit:
This military jumpsuit is exactly the type of clothes I’m into right now — utilitarian-chic and easy. Unfortunately, the price tag still isn’t singing to me. This bad boy is $495.
Although that was a bargain when compared to this sweater, which costs nearly $2,000:
If you choked on your breakfast when you saw the price, yes… I feel you.
While I tried on half the clothes in the store, my husband enjoyed the well-appointed “men’s section,” which is a collection of cozy chairs and coffee table books. Here’s how my husband spent the afternoon:
Visiting the Goop pop-up was akin to falling down Alice’s rabbit hole… it’s an alternative universe that’s pleasing but pulsing with an undercurrent of malaise. (Because I seriously can’t justify a sweater that costs 2 grand.)
If you plan to visit, check out the Goop pop-up at the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle. View a slideshow of the interiors here; shop the store online here.
