Gwyneth Paltrow completely approves of Brad Pitt’s foray into fashion.
For the Goop website, the actress and lifestyle guru sat down with her ex-fiancé about his silent partnership with designer Sat Hari Khalsa on her shirt brand God’s True Cashmere.
The partnership came about after Khalsa designed the perfect plaid cashmere shirt for him several years ago.
“I’ve been dabbling with design and Sat Hari’s a designer herself — a jewellery designer — and so we came together on that level,” Pitt recalled. “She told me about this dream she’d had, of me saying I needed more softness in my life, and I literally had just said to someone that I wanted more softness.”
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Pitt then shared that it was Paltrow’s late father, Bruce Paltrow, who first introduced him to cashmere shirts.
“And you know, the softness comes from Bruce. I didn’t even know what cashmere was till you and Bruce. I knew wool to be wool. And that s**t’s itchy. But the way you and Bruce spoke about cashmere, I knew it was something,” he said.
“Bruce taught me about cashmere, what a nice bottle of red is — what a fine bottle of wine means and how to experience it. And I really value that. Hanging out with both of you sanded off some of my rough country edges,” Pitt went on. “It tickled my luxury gene that I always had somewhere in there but didn’t have access to. Ever since then, cashmere’s the coveted cloth to be covered in. It’s just so damn soft and so damn cozy.”
He added, “So Sat Hari, being the kind human being that she is, was trying to make me [a shirt] for the holidays, and she couldn’t get it done. She ended up making her own, and then decided: There’s something here. And I said, ‘Let me come in with you — let’s do it together.’ And she said okay. And now we’ve got a bunch of shirts that we really like.”
Asked about his involvement with the design process, and whether he gets to choose the patterns, Pitt explained, “That’s where we spend a day with all the colours and threads, and we argue over what kind of red to use. You know: I want a little more tomato; she wants a little more berry. I usually get my way because she’s really kind, but she’s pulled out some good ones that I wouldn’t have ever come up with.
Paltrow then decided to turn the conversation back toward Pitt’s relationship with her dad.
“Okay, since it’s almost Father’s Day, I’m going to ask you about Bruce. I’ll never forget when we were engaged and he came to me one day, his eyes full of tears, and he said, ‘You know, I never really realized what they mean when they say you’re gaining a son. Like, I’m gaining a son.’ What impact did he have on you?” she asked. “Why did you love him, even though we didn’t get married, unfortunately?”
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Pitt told her, “One of the many things I loved about Bruce — because he did have a profound effect on me and is someone I still think about — was he really fostered your voice, your independence. He carved the way for you guys to be who you are. And I think that’s so important to parenting, you know? So the child is free to find out who they are and what they love and what they don’t. You guys were just so free in your conversations. And witty. And intelligent. And funny as f**k.”
The actor continued, “He could be tough if he needed to be, but it would be rare — only if someone was out of line. And it would come with… not a slap on the wrist but a little drop of wisdom, and he’d let you make the choice. That seemed to be his way. Just to offer you this wisdom and let you figure it out. And knowing to have that faith in your child — they’ll get there when they get there.”
Finally, Pitt added, “That man was funny. He was funny. And you guys were so funny together, ripping across the table, which was a rarity that I hadn’t experienced much, and I loved it. The fun you guys had was infectious. You could just see just how much he adored you.”