We Still Can’t Believe We Got to Raid Oprah’s Closet

Nothing says “intimate” quite like the chain of events that usually unfold when someone invites us into their home. Whether it’s sharing slices of avocado toast, playing with their puppies, flinging open their medicine cabinets, or playing patty cake with their toddlers (keeping in mind that this is all within the span of just a few hours, and there’s a serious chance we started things off as virtual strangers)...we have a tendency to make friends, and fast. With this in mind, you can imagine that occasionally, our jobs mean we’re privy to some moments that are pretty damn special. And leaving after two hours can be bittersweet. So when the call came asking if we’d like to document the process of Oprah (!) saying goodbye to her namesake home away from home, Harpo Studios in Chicago (!!), you better believe we were booking our flights the moment we hit that big red “End” button. After all, does it get any more special than having the woman herself share with us her very last moments in the place where she made 25 years of television history? In a word, no. The first item on the agenda? Cleaning out Oprah’s “work closet.” To put it mildly, our stash of subway-friendly and big-meeting shoes doesn’t quite hold a candle to Winfrey’s endless walk-in wardrobe. With the team from O Magazine in tow, we watched as Winfrey sorted through the pieces lining the wall, editing down her selection of saturated brights to a neat assortment of neutrals (Kanye would be proud). The entire process was a real testament to the incredible power of fashion as a real, tangible memento of our daily lives—there was a story behind almost every piece we came across. From there, we bounced around from studio to studio as Winfrey walked the Harpo halls—let’s just say it was all a real “if these walls could talk” moment—before Oprah and her team bid adieu to their second home for the very last time. Told you it was bittersweet. PS. Want to shop everything you see here & have a little piece of Harpo for yourself? Oprah’s hosting an eBay sale where you can cop everything you see here. We suggest you get on it, and fast.