The TV scriptwriter (wearing a ’70s Stephen Burrows gown) and some of the vintage collection in her “CL office.”
Cinematography: Nina Westervelt
“Isn’t that wonderful?!”
It’s an unseasonably warm fall afternoon in New York, and Keri Goff is showing THR the pieces of her “cl-office,” a converted closet and office in a Manhattan apartment. A trained journalist and screenwriter, Goff has stocked the room with standard office essentials. But the rest of the space is filled with her vast collection of vintage clothing; specifically, more than 100 pieces by black American designers. One “amazing” piece Goff describes is a breezy leopard-print jumpsuit by Patrick Kelly, the designer known for his bold, colorful designs worn by muses like Pat Cleveland and Grace Jones, who passed away in 1990 at the age of 35. After working in Atlanta and New York, Kelly moved to Paris in 1980 and became the first American designer to be recognized by the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter, the umbrella organization for France’s ready-to-wear industry.[I] “I think of it as pajamas for men,” she said, adding that because Kelly has never designed pajamas for a collection, she’s almost certain the piece is a one-off he made for himself. “I wear it and I love it.”
Another section of the collection was “all about Stephen,” she said, referring to designer Stephen Burrows, whose slim, lettuce-hem dresses were an icon of disco-era fashion and who was the only black designer to present at the famous Battle of Versailles in 1973. “I interviewed Stephen about 10 years ago and [pioneering Black model] “Donyal Luna,” Gough says. The two were reunited earlier this year at an event marking the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Versailles.
Gough’s first edition of Elizabeth Keckley’s book “Behind the Scenes.” Photo by Nina Westervelt.
For Goff, whose writing credits include And Just Like That and Mayor of Kingstown, building a vintage treasure trove began with what was once a shoestring clothing budget. “When I first started collecting, I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing,” she says. “I moved to New York and started getting invited to fancy events, but I didn’t have the money.” So Goff only shopped at now-closed discount department store Loehmann’s or flea markets. In the early 2000s, it wasn’t uncommon for people to fall in love with Goff’s party looks only to find out she was wearing a $20 vintage dress from a local flea market. Then, in 2015, Goff wrote an article for the Daily Beast about Black designers, past and present. “That really sparked my interest in historically important Black designers, from Patrick Kelly to Willie Smith to Stephen Burrows,” she says. Then, on eBay, Goff found work by contemporary designer Isaiah Rankin, who was a defining figure in the ’70s and ’80s. The listing described Rankin as “once a celebrity.”
Gough is wearing a 1960s debutante dress by Ann Lowe. Photo by Nina Westervelt
“It just pissed me off,” she says. “Isaiah Rankin basically invented athleisure.” Goff bought the piece and soon became “more aggressive” in acquiring vintage pieces by Black designers. She felt that their work being thrown away was an affront to their legacies, especially considering that many of their careers were cut short by the AIDS epidemic. Kelly, Smith, and Rankin all died from AIDS-related complications in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Sift through the items in Goff’s CL office and you’ll find a wool coat Kelly once gave to Gloria Steinem, a champagne-colored dress by Zelda Win Valdes, who famously designed the Playboy bunny suit, and a gown by Anne Lowe, who designed Jacqueline Bouvier’s wedding dress for her wedding to John F. Kennedy. (Lowe’s work is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in “Women Dressing Women,” a new exhibit running through March 3.)
Goff has worn the item at high-profile events, but [designers] “They’re getting the recognition they don’t always get, but deserve,” she says. She’s not just collecting for her own wardrobe. “I’m going to donate. [over time] “I want to donate all of my work by Black designers to a major museum,” Goff said, citing FIT Museum associate curator Elizabeth Way as one of the people behind the decision. “Kelly has been very careful about building a collection of incredible Black designers who are not often represented in many museums,” Way said.
Goff initially felt that she didn’t have the expertise to find museum-worthy pieces and then liaise with institutions to display them, but “people like Liz [have] “It really gave me the confidence to understand the importance of sharing my collection with the world,” said Goff, who is producing a documentary about Black designers.
Kelly Gough in New York on November 22nd, wearing Patrick Kelly’s signature button dress. Photo by Nina Westervelt Kelly Gough in New York on November 22nd, wearing Patrick Kelly’s signature button dress. Photo by Nina Westervelt
Goff, a THR contributor, spoke with the publication about his interest in vintage, how he got interested in fashion and his plans for his collection.
What do you look for when adding to your collection?
This is unusual and curators aren’t necessarily happy to hear it, but I actually wear my own pieces, so it has to fit and be something I would want to wear.
Tell us about a piece that stood out to you.
I have several Patrick Kelly floor-length buttoned gowns. They were out of my budget when they came out. [the seller]I said, “I’m a collector, I promise I’ll never resell,” and they said, “How much can you pay?” I have had a few times where people were really supportive of what I wanted to do with the clothes, because I have no intention of selling them.
How did you get your hands on the Ann Lowe gown?
I have been treasure hunting for years. Her name is almost [of her] I loved the dress, but I knew where she designed it: the Adams Room at Saks Fifth Avenue. I kept Googling it, [the gown] It was up for auction and I watched it for days before finally getting it.
Is there a piece that you feel is particularly sentimental about?
Elizabeth Keckley was a slave who gained her freedom by sewing dresses. She made all of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln’s dresses and [Varina Howell Davis]First Lady of the Confederacy. She wrote the first White House tell-all book, which led to a bitter feud with the Lincoln family. One of the books was auctioned off right after the writers’ strike began. I was supposed to have saved up, but it was the only time my family, my manager, my accountant were all on the same page. They were like, “You should have it.”
Vintage perfume bottles by Stephen Burrows, photographed by Nina Westervelt. Her collection includes Patrick Kelly buttons and earrings made from designer buttons, photographed by Nina Westervelt.
Is there anything you’d like to add to your collection?
Stephen Burroughs designed the liquid gold dress that Farrah Fawcett wore to the Oscars. It’s incredible. I’ve been obsessed with this dress for years. I’m not kidding. I was invited to a fundraiser by Nancy Chilton. [veteran communications strategist and former chief external relations officer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute] And she introduced me to Sandy Schreier. [who] She’s a big collector. I was wearing a Stephen Burroughs dress and she said, “Oh, I have a lot of Stephen’s dresses in my collection. Do you know the Farrah Fawcett dress?” And I said, “Do you have that dress?” And she said, “Of course.” So that dress will never be in my collection, but I love it.
When did you first become interested in fashion?
When I was growing up, my mom and I used to watch old movies together: Mildred Pierce, Imitation of Life, and Carmen Jones, and we would talk about how beautiful the costumes were.
Why do you think vintage is so popular right now, even with the stars?
Sustainability has become a big part of the conversation, and with the rise of social media, people no longer want to dress the same as everyone else.
What do you hope to achieve by donating your artwork to a cultural institution?
Both of my parents grew up in the segregated South, so it really sucks that no one knew who Ann Lowe was until I was an adult, and I want other girls to know who she was.
Keri Goff in New York on November 22nd, wearing a signature Patrick Kelly button-up dress. 2 The TV writer (wearing a Stephen Burrows ’70s gown) holds up some of her vintage collection in her “CL offices.” The leopard-print blouse in the foreground is a contemporary piece by Sergio Hudson. Goff’s collection also includes a champagne-colored vintage dress by Zelda Winn Valdes, who dressed stars like Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge and Mae West. (Patrick Kelly animal-print jumpsuit, left) Photo: Nina Westervelt
Kelly Gough hits the red carpet in vintage fashion
Vintage Red Carpet
Left: On the red carpet at the International Emmy Awards in November, Goff wore a 1970s Stephen Burrows evening top with a Karl Lagerfeld skirt and a vintage belt from New York’s Spelman Gallery.
Center: At the TriBeCa Film Festival in June, she wore a Patrick Kelly jacket and one of her 25 or so pairs of Zeni glasses. “I have this exact same jacket in teal,” Goff says. She also favors contemporary pieces from Sergio Hudson and Off-White.
Right: She wore Kelly’s leopard-print dress to the premiere of And Just Like That in 2021. “I like classic style, but with a little edge to it. I like unusual glasses, sneakers, things like that,” Goff says. “It’s like Jackie O. meets Grace Jones.”
This article first appeared in the December 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
