Julia Fox is no stranger to cleaning out her closet — but when it comes to the dress she wore to marry the father of her son, even she admits she came within a thread of letting it go. The Uncut Gems star and fashion icon recently partnered with eBay and the newsletter Drafting for a massive stoop sale in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, offloading nearly 400 pieces from her legendary wardrobe. The event drew hordes of style obsessives, all eager to own a piece of Fox’s cultural footprint — from the boots she wore in the Safdie brothers’ film to the bedazzled Steve Madden pumps she stepped into on her Las Vegas wedding day.
Fox, who married artist Peter Artemiev on New Year’s Day 2018, says the wedding shoes were easy to part with. “I just didn’t wear them,” she explained to Bustle on-site at the sale. “I was never going to wear them again.” The same logic applied to most of her clothes, especially since all proceeds from the sale benefited the Rosebuds Reading Collective, a book-centered organization that supports incarcerated women at Rikers Island. Fox is famously unsentimental about material possessions, especially those tied to past relationships. “Keep everything that an ex gives you,” she has said. “I have so many things that boyfriends have given me. To me, they’re just a thing.”
But the wedding dress itself — a mini cowgirl-inspired number that she paired with her ex’s cowboy boots — almost made the cut into the sale pile. “I actually toyed with the idea of selling the dress, too,” Fox revealed. “But I was this close to throwing it in the pile as well.” The sole reason she held on was for her 5-year-old son, Valentino, whom she shares with Artemiev. “It was the dress I wore when I married his daddy, so I kept it for that,” she said. “Ultimately that’s all I need to keep.”
Fox’s decision to keep the dress speaks to a rare soft spot in an otherwise fiercely anti-nostalgic persona. Known for her unapologetic, often chaotic fashion choices — from cut-out dresses and bedazzled everything to the infamous MetroCard outfit — Fox treats her wardrobe as a collection of artifacts rather than sentimental treasures. The sale, which took place on May 16, featured items from throughout her career, including pieces from her 2019 book tour for Down the Drain and costumes from her film and television appearances. Fans who missed the in-person event can still shop her official eBay store for remaining items.
Fox’s career has always been intertwined with fashion. Before she became a household name following her breakout role in Uncut Gems (2019), she worked as a model and designer. Her personal style — a mix of Y2K nostalgia, bondage influences, and high-end streetwear — has made her a muse for brands like Diesel and a fixture at fashion weeks around the world. Her memoir, Down the Drain, details her tumultuous upbringing, her time as a dominatrix, and her rise to fame, all while maintaining a distinctive, unflinching voice. The book became a New York Times bestseller and solidified her as more than just a fashion plate.
The relationship between Fox and Artemiev was brief but passionate. They met in 2017 and were married on a whim in Las Vegas, with Fox famously wearing a white mini dress with a cowgirl hat and boots. The marriage lasted two years, and the couple separated in 2020. They have co-parented their son, Valentino, ever since. Despite the divorce, Fox has spoken positively about her ex, calling him a “great dad” and emphasizing that their split was amicable. The wedding dress, therefore, carries not just a memory of a love story, but of a family that continues to matter deeply to her.
Fox’s eBay sale is part of a larger trend of celebrities using resale platforms to clear out their closets while giving back to charity. Other stars, including Kim Kardashian and the Olsen twins, have participated in similar initiatives. But Fox’s sale was uniquely her own: chaotic, curated, and full of one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect her eclectic taste. The event also included a pop-up reading nook for the Rosebuds Reading Collective, highlighting Fox’s commitment to literacy and criminal justice reform. “As long as there’s no emotional attachment to [a partner], we can give the clothes a new identity and a new emotional essence,” Fox said. “We’re so powerful.”
The wedding dress itself, a simple white cotton mini with a slight flare, is not a high-fashion piece by traditional standards. But its significance — to Fox, to her son, and to her story — makes it priceless. She’s stored it safely in her closet, a physical reminder of a day when she felt “so fcking cute” and “so in love.” While she’s eager to pass along other memories to new owners, this one stays with her. For now, the dress remains a quiet thread connecting her past, present, and future — a future that revolves around her role as a mother.
Julia Fox’s ability to hold onto what matters while letting go of the rest is a lesson in itself. Her wardrobe sale wasn’t just a purge; it was a celebration of impermanence, a chance for her iconic pieces to live new lives. And in an era of fast fashion and fleeting trends, Fox’s deliberate act of curation — keeping only what is truly meaningful — offers a model for how to navigate our own closets and our own histories. As she continues to evolve as an actress, author, and fashion icon, one thing remains clear: she’ll always know what to keep, and what to let go.
Source: Bustle News