Gwyneth Paltrow’s Hosting Tips, Straight From Her Goop Holiday Party
On December 11, Gwyneth Paltrow rang in the holidays with a party that was equal parts intimate, chic, and star-studded. The actress and Goop founder opened the doors of her home in Los Angeles for a soirée celebrating G. Label, her Goop brand’s apparel arm. Guests at the “tinsel and ‘tinis” celebration—including Molly Sims, Laura Harrier, Chelsea Handler, and Santigold—were all styled in G. Label ensembles of the moment. Martinis, signature cocktails, and a bourbon medley from Basil Hayden Whiskey were passed around—along with decadent mini steak frites and baked potatoes with caviar. (The towers of cheese gougéres were a lovely touch when it came to the food as well—a detail Paltrow herself tells W was part of the “Paris-meets-L.A. vibe” of the party.) Against Paltrow’s crackling fireplace and with a can’t-fail playlist of holiday music, the gathering had a warm, cozy, and joyful vibe that only the Goop head honcho could create. Below, the actress shares her top tips for hosting this season—and some behind-the-scenes details from her own party planning.
“At my house, the food sets the tone for the evening,” Paltrow tells W. “I tasked the chef to create bite-size steak frites; warm, melting caviar baked potatoes; towers of gougères, and a gorgeous mound of butter.” Those bites, the actress adds, were served alongside radishes from the farmer’s market, branded with a festive “G.” “And we offered martinis, of course.” Here, a look inside the party, which was hosted at Paltrow’s home in Los Angeles.
Paltrow arrives at her fête (with Chelsea Handler not far behind).
The host made a speech ahead of the evening, but encouraged conversation among her guests by putting out “thought-provoking conversation cards to encourage people to dip below the surface,” Paltrow says. “If it’s a small group, I love a prompt that starts a single-thread conversation with the whole table. But I find this method of conversation-starting to be helpful for cocktail parties as well.”
“Décor doesn’t have to be expensive to be chic,” Paltrow says. “A black velvet ribbon from Amazon can do the trick—or pick up a few pomegranates from the market, cut them in two, and place them haphazardly around the table. One hint: the juiciest ones are actually the palest, but when you use them as décor, make sure to buy the underripe ones for the most vibrant color.”
Santigold paired her G. Label look with cool creepers, a glittering headpiece, and sunglasses adorned with chains.
Handler and Paltrow pose for a picture.
Laura Harrier in a quiet luxury look—done the G. Label way.
That “Paris-meets-L.A. vibe” that Paltrow used as a theme for her party? It also blends into the Goop founder’s “vision for G. Label as a whole,” she says. “The latest collection is a little Jane Birkin, a little Carolyn Bessette Kennedy—classic with an irresistible twist.”
