Selma Blair Launches Fashion Design Career With 'Inclusive' Collection
By Afouda Bamidele on October 5, 2023 at 7:00 PM EDT
Selma Blair is becoming a fashion girl!
The multi-talented superstar is adding the title of fashion designer to her very feathered hat, following her and a longtime friend's partnership with QVC to launch an accessible clothing collection. News of Blair's fashion line comes after she played a role in helping President Joe Biden commemorate the legacy of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
Selma Blair's Autoimmune Disease Inspired Her To Team Up with Renowned Fashion Designer
Since she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis [MS] in 2018, Blair has been intentional about doing things that will help others like her. Keeping in tune with that, the actress has joined forces with her friend and designer Isaac Mizrahi and QVC to produce an inclusive clothing line that celebrates accessible fashion.
The collection — Isaac Mizrahi Live! x Selma Blair — was created through collaboration with and help from the disability community. Its accessible features include easy open necklines, stretch fabrics, magnetic closures, and flat seams, amongst others, according to universal design principles.
The "H---boy" star opened up about her dreams manifesting through the fashion line during an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE that also featured Mizrahi. Recalling how it began, the 51-year-old stated:
"It all came together so perfectly. I ran into him [Mizrahi] at a restaurant in New York City after I got my diagnosis and remember saying to him, 'I hope one day maybe we can collaborate on something that can be accessible for the disabled and non-disabled' and he said, 'That would be great. We'll have to find that.' And then here we are."
Since they have known each other for decades, with Mizrahi creating some of the advocate's red carpet looks, it wasn't too difficult for them to work together. In fact, Blair's determination and resilience in the face of her struggles with MS inspired the designer and prompted him to create more adaptive clothing pieces.
"I'm so fortunate to have the opportunity to help in any possible way. Especially if you are like me and you are interested in democratizing things and making things accessible. It's a little extra challenge, but I feel like a lot of the accessibility things that I already incorporate in the clothes I make for women in general, like washability and very soft textiles, so we already had a good foundation," Mizrahi informed PEOPLE.
He then praised QVC for being a "great kind of partner in this" due to "the accessibility and the way they keep things very affordable and easy to get, and they ship everything." Chiming in to cement her feelings about the collection, Blair shared:
"I love and have so much respect for creative directors and designers and I never ever would've dreamed I would step into that space. I believe that every woman should feel as chic as I do wearing Isaac from the get go. He made me feel so beautiful."
Selma Blair Speaks At A Special Event Inside The White House
The "Legally Blonde" performer had kicked off the month as the A-list Hollywood star who walked with Biden to a White House ceremony marking the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Per AP News, she also had the honor of addressing the crowd of advocates and dubbed herself "a proud disabled woman" when she took over the mic.
"Although I'd had symptoms since the age of 7, it took a lifetime of self-advocacy to finally lead me to a diagnosis at age 46, after living most of my life in pain and self-doubt," the 51-year-old said.
She then expressed her admiration for Judy Heumann, a prominent activist who played a crucial role in securing legislation to protect the rights of disabled individuals. Although Heumann passed away in March at 75, Blair credited her with teaching her about her own worth, adding:
"The push towards equity continues. Our laws and policies must reflect that our disabled lives are not of lesser value."
The People's Choice Award winner is also immensely grateful for the stem cell transplant she underwent in 2021. Despite the procedure's success and it's stopping her from losing more of her abilities, Blair admitted that she still had a few challenges. In her words:
"I'm so much better, but it haunts my physical cells. It's there.Some people wake up two years later, and they're like, 'I'm healed! Colors are brighter!' But I never had that moment. I just stopped having regression."
