“I’m Sitting Next to Catherine Deneuve!”: Whoopi Goldberg Reviews AMI FW25

WEDNESDAY 9:35 AM JANUARY 22, 2024 PARIS

It’s that time again—we’re back in Paris to kick off another month of fashion. Yesterday, in an abandoned building in the 9th arrondissement, a single saxophonist silenced the crowd at AMI FW25, after which a slew of sophisticated earth-toned tailoring streamed down the runway. The French co-ed brand, creative directed by Alexandre Mattiussi, has always walked the talk of “quiet luxury,” keeping it chic, sleek, and wearable. While taking in the work-appropriate checked suiting, playful gathered skirts and capelets, and very Parisian accessories, including neck scarves and a new bag, our editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg chatted up his seatmate, Whoopi Goldberg, to find out about her secret love for dressing up.

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MEL OTTENBERG: I’m here sitting next to Whoopi Goldberg at the AMI fashion show. Who are you sitting next to?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I’m sitting next to Catherine Deneuve!

OTTENBERG: Can you tell the people what she’s doing right now? Because it’s so incredible.

GOLDBERG: She’s just being her.

OTTENBERG: She’s vaping. She’s got one of those big glass vapes. It’s so cool.

GOLDBERG: She can blow anything she wants in my direction.

OTTENBERG: Oh, anything. Forget about it.

GOLDBERG: Yeah, yeah.

OTTENBERG: Welcome to Paris.

GOLDBERG: Thank you. Everyone should do this once.

OTTENBERG: I want to ask you one important question. Your Golden Globes outfit that was yellow in the ’80s with the sneakers, that should be on one of the best-dressed lists of all time. Do you feel that way?

GOLDBERG: No. I like the green outfit I wore in homage to Lucille Ball. But I’ve never been known as one who had anything really loving to do with fashion, because Mr. Blackwell really stopped me from dressing. 

OTTENBERG: Because it wasn’t fun?

GOLDBERG: Because he didn’t think it was me. Andre Leon Talley said, “You dress how you are because that’s who you are.” So between Andre and several other magnificent people, I’ve developed my own thing. And then I keep showing up in places like this. It really hasn’t stopped but I tell people, “Put it on me and I’ll wear it.” I couldn’t tell you why it was good. But I can tell you about actors.

CATHERINE DENEUVE: How long are you staying in Paris?

OTTENBERG: Catherine Deneuve just asked Whoopi how long she’s staying in Paris. She’s fully engaging. Maybe she’ll talk to me too, but I don’t know. I get starstruck.

GOLDBERG: Yeah, totally.

OTTENBERG: And it reminds you that it can still happen to you, which I love.

GOLDBERG: Oh my god, yeah. When I was here years ago, I’d see Alain Delon and I’d see just all these wonderful people whose films I love. And then I get nervous because I’m going to say, “Oh, I love The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” and I know that’s the wrong name. So I just think it in my heart and hope she gets it by osmosis.

OTTENBERG: You’re really just keeping it full Whoopi Goldberg forever. And that’s what makes you so sick, man.

GOLDBERG: Well, thank you for that. My god, everybody’s five years old.

OTTENBERG: Everybody’s five years old. I am turning 49 this year, but you know what? Fuck it.

GOLDBERG: I’m turning 70. I just had to take a deep breath.

OTTENBERG: Let it out. Any big plans?

GOLDBERG: Not yet. My kid keeps threatening me because my granddaughter also has the same birthday, so we celebrate a lot together. So no one knows where we’re going to end up, but now that you know us, you’re going to get dragged in. [Pointing at the runway] That’s a great coat. That coat would be great on you.

OTTENBERG: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I agree. What are you wearing? What’s your fit?

GOLDBERG: This is something AMI sent me. The shoes are a little adult for me because I don’t normally do this, and they put me in stockings because the dress has a slit. But I’m so glad that they did it. They said, “Come be with us.” I was like, “Okay.” So I left The View job. I said, “I’ll be back.” They said, “When are you leaving?” I said, “Inauguration Day.”

OTTENBERG: It was the right day to leave.

GOLDBERG: So will you stay for the next show?

OTTENBERG: I’m staying. I’m here for a few days and then I go either to New York or London. I don’t know.

GOLDBERG: Is there more?

OTTENBERG: There’s a few more days of Men’s Fashion Week and then it’s Couture.

GOLDBERG: What’s the difference?

OTTENBERG: Men’s Fashion Week is all the men’s shows, and it’s actually very chill compared to Women’s Fashion Week. And Couture is really chill because it’s one big show a day. Here, there’s really one to two shows every day. But the women’s ready-to-wear shows, that’s in February into March, and that’s really hectic. I do a bunch of shows, a bunch of meetings, a bunch of appointments. It’s really psycho for 21 days straight.

GOLDBERG: Wow. So did you go to the Louis Vuitton show yesterday?

OTTENBERG: I didn’t. Did you go?

GOLDBERG: No, he ain’t calling me.

OTTENBERG: They should invite you. You’d look sick in that stuff.

GOLDBERG: I am sick in this stuff. It’s beautiful, but at some point you have to draw the line and say, “Okay, it would be great to do this, but I know that when I put it on, it’s wrong.”