Liz Goldwyn Parts With Her Rare 1990s Fashion Pieces As Part Of A Dynamic New Auction

RUN, don’t walk—a new project is not just a must-see for vintage fashion enthusiasts, but a fascinating insight into what…

Mar 31, 2023 - 12:46 Updated: Mar 31, 2023 - 12:50

Liz Goldwyn Parts With Her Rare 1990s Fashion Pieces As Part Of A Dynamic New Auction

RUN, don’t walk—a new project is not just a must-see for vintage fashion enthusiasts, but a fascinating insight into what it means to be a muse and a collaborator. Writer and filmmaker Liz Goldwyn came into her power, professionally and personally, in the 1990s when she found herself in circles with other ground-breaking and inspiring female creatives. One such figure was multi-faceted artist Susan Cianciolo, whose 11 seminal RUN collections from 1995 to 2001 cemented her as a cult-status fashion designer. Together, they also created many pieces together while progressing in their perspective careers and now, Goldwyn is ready to release the garments and art back into the world. Launching today, Liz.Run is a “labor of love” created in tandem with gallerist Bridget Donahue that serves not only as the home for a two-week auction, but also a lasting digital archive of a bygone New York and the 1990s style that prevails. We caught up with Goldwyn to hear all about it.

Is there any significance to the timing of the project? Why did now feel like the right time?
We’ve been developing this for almost two years. There’s lot of layers to it! We think people will be excited, because it’s such a treasure trove of audio, visuals, video, and contemporary art. As for why now, I’m in a very reflective period of my life. I’d written a personal book, which came out in the fall. It’s really been a time of reflecting and letting go, so it felt like the right time for these pieces to find new homes.

Is this project the first of its kind for you?
I started out in the auction space, at Sotheby’s, so it’s a full circle moment. I’ve done some charity projects. Back in 2014, I teamed up with Karen Elson for ‘Vintage Vanguard’ on Moda Operandi [to benefit Dress for Success] but I’ve never specifically collaborated with one designer. This has been so personal. Special Offer are incredible web developers—the site feels a bit like a ‘chose your own adventure’-type video game. They just kept coming up with more ideas! You’ve got my audio on there, talking about that time in New York, these garments, and there’s a conversation between Susan and I, so users can toggle between everything.

Where have the clothes that are being auctioned been all this time?
I’m, like, a crazy vintage collector—I’ve been collecting since I was 13! I keep everything at a climate controlled facility in Los Angeles. My dream is to have something like the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris…but it’s nothing like that! Because I’ve collected for so long, I have a sense of what’s going to become collectable. Due to how people currently feel about the ’90s and ’00s, it feels like a good time to part with these pieces in a way that’s contextualized. Susan also stopped making fashion a long time ago, so it’s impossible to find her stuff anymore, which also made it really felt like the right moment. I was such a different woman back then; we reflect a lot in our conversation on that. How we were both looking at dressing and our sexuality. It’s all very tied into why I was ready to look back on this period of life and let things go.