Gwyneth Paltrow stepped out on Tuesday evening to attend the opening-night celebration of Veuve Clicquot’s “Solaire Culture” exhibition, a traveling showcase that made its way to Los Angeles to commemorate the Champagne house’s milestone 250th anniversary and pay tribute to Madame Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, who took control of Veuve Clicquot Champagne at age 27 in 1805 after the death of her husband. She became one of the very first female business leaders during a time when women were not allowed to manage a company or open a bank account.
“Her story is really inspiring. She’s an example of what can happen when entrepreneurs, especially female entrepreneurs, don’t take no for an answer,” said Paltrow, who attended the opening on Rodeo Drive alongside guests including Gal Gadot, Laura Harrier, and Charlie’s Angels actor Ella Balinska, who DJ’d the party. “I think we can all learn from her story.”
To honor Madame Clicquot’s pioneering achievements—she created the first known blended rosé Champagne—art historian Camille Morineau and designer Constance Guisset gathered 10 female artists to commission original artwork for “Solaire Culture,” an immersive exhibition that salutes female audacity and invokes joy and optimism. Among the artists whose works are featured in the exhibit—opening October 26—are Yayoi Kusama, Rosie McGuinness, Sheila Hicks, and Tacita Dean, who all offered their unique vision of Madame Clicquot’s daring entrepreneurial ethos, which has paved the way for generations of female business leaders.
Like Madame Clicquot, Paltrow has pivoted, transitioning from an Oscar-winning acting career to the lifestyle and wellness industry as the founder and CEO of Goop. More than a decade after Paltrow started her company in 2008, it’s grown from a weekly newsletter into a brand valued at an estimated $250 million.
“What I love about being an entrepreneur is the agency that you have, and I also love working with a team,” said Paltrow on the arrivals carpet prior to viewing the exhibition. “Acting is very much a solo sport and to be able to really build something with a group of people that you care about and invest in, and all the different points of view, and all the different expertise, and galvanize everybody focused on the same thing makes it a very rewarding experience.”
Launching Goop was no easy task, Paltrow candidly admits. “My set of challenges have been very unique because I migrated from a career in the arts to a career in business,” she said. “I had to gain trust and support. But at the end of the day, everything is business…It takes a lot of thought and a lot of concerted effort and really keeping an eye on the prize, and of course, there’s a terrible economy. There’s always something to navigate through.”
From recommending vaginal steaming to sex toys and pubic hair oil, the curated products Goop features are meant not to titillate but to explore.
“When we started Goop, we were doing it from a very real, very honest place, and we continue to really try to change conversations and to move culture forward,” said Paltrow, dressed in a cutout Carolina Herrera dress with a long train. “To be an indispensable resource is really what we hope the customer will take away. We started a lot of conversations about clean beauty and how important clean beauty is, we talked modern feminism and unconscious uncoupling, and amazing travel recommendations. Our goal is always to help the customer.”
Following in Paltrow’s footsteps, a slew of celebrities have recently turned their professional attention to non-acting endeavors. From Scarlett Johansson and Jared Leto to her former fiancé Brad Pitt, these A-listers have entered the beauty world with their own brands. This past September, Pitt released his skin care line, Le Domaine, a gender-neutral, anti-aging line. Pitt has credited Paltrow—the two were in a relationship from 1994 to 1997—for helping inspire the idea. As he grows and further develops his brand, Paltrow has some practical business tips for the Oscar winner.
“I think for any entrepreneur, and Brad included, you have to be committed to the integrity and the authenticity in what you make,” Paltrow said. “You have to know that you are making something because you believe in it so much. That you have to make it because you believe the world needs to have it as opposed to creating a business for business sake.”
Pitt also praised Paltrow for getting him to wash his face. “It was a long time ago. I don’t remember if I was the one,” she said. “But you know, I’m always trying to encourage everybody to wash their face. A clean face is a good thing, even for Brad!”
As Paltrow continues to dominate the wellness and lifestyle world, she promises she will not completely abandon her acting career. You can expect her to take on one more role.
“I mean, I would never say never,” said Paltrow, who last appeared onscreen in the Netflix series The Politician in 2020. “I promised my mother [Blythe Danner] that in the future I’ll go back to do at least one movie or play.”
Paul Chi
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