With starring roles in some of the most beloved movies of the late ’90s and early 2000s — “Cruel Intentions,” “Legally Blonde” and “The Sweetest Thing,” anyone? — Selma Blair is a true Hollywood icon. She’s made her mark in the fashion space, too, having fronted campaigns for Chanel, Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs over the years.
And after going public with her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2018, Blair didn’t shy away from the cameras. She simply pivoted from actress to advocate, discussing her journey with the disease in an award-winning documentary, on social media and even while walking red carpets (with her cane and her service dog, Scout, in tow) and becoming one of the disability community’s most famous faces along the way.
Today, the star — whose MS has been in remission since 2021 – is finding new ways to balance these roles. Case in point? Her latest project, a capsule collection for Benny’s Eyewear comprised of six stylish, Italian-made frames that reflect her elegant yet eclectic aesthetic. A portion of all sales will be donated to the American Brain Foundation, which funds research to help prevent and treat brain diseases including MS.
We sat down with Blair to chat about her glasses, Hollywood beauty standards, trading Juicy Couture tracksuits with Cameron Diaz and whether she got to keep any of her incredible costumes from “Legally Blonde.”
How did your collaboration with Benny’s come about?
Well, I never had glasses my whole life — and then I needed readers. I found a gorgeous pair, and they were from Benny’s, and I wore them, and then I lost them. And I was so forlorn! They were the glasses everyone loved; every Zoom I was on, it was like a good, solid five minutes of glasses appreciation from everyone. And when they were gone, I was like, “I will never have that gratification again of so many compliments.”
I had to get them back, so I called Susan from Benny’s. We’re both Michigan girls — we grew up in the same area — and we developed a friendship. And I was like, “Could we ever work together? I need to have your glasses in my life forever.” And then we came up with these ones together.
Which style from the new collection is your personal favorite?
The Arthur is my favorite design we came up with; I named it after my son. They’re quite feminine because of the broader arch on top, but when he put them on, he looked so cute! So they actually look good on a 14-year-old boy, too. Who knew?
The last time we chatted with you, you called aging “a privilege,” which I loved. And you look great, by the way.
It’s so funny; there are people that have been meeting me who are like, “Oh my gosh, it’s so refreshing to see an old face!” [Laughs.]
I am not garage kept. I have no Botox in my face right now, or filler, or anything, and I am 53.
On the flip side, we’ve recently entered this fascinating age of plastic surgery transparency, where celebrities like Kris and Kylie Jenner are openly discussing their nips and tucks. What do you make of that? Like, Kris’ facelift is the best work I’ve ever seen.
It’s incredible! They all look incredible, and I think it’s very female-friendly to divulge. Obviously there’s no need — only if you want to — but it is kind of nice to get the info right from the source, because people are looking for that. We’re not cutting people down [for getting cosmetic work] anymore. It’s not, “Ooh, they had something done.” It’s, “Ooh, that looks good. Where can I go?!” And I’m totally taking all the information.
We don’t talk enough about your red carpet looks from the ’90s and 2000s; they were so chic. Has your personal style changed much in the years since?
I still have things in my closet that I had in the ’90s! I’ve always had a classic, underlying sense of what I liked: blue jeans and a white shirt, or kind of a basic, Ralph Lauren-type thing. And all those looks still work and look great, and so many have come back.
My mom would always say, “Spend a fortune on your clothes, and make sure they’ll look good in 10 years.”
Sound advice. You played around with some trends at the time too though, right?
I had a good midriff when I was young, so I did a lot of midriff. I had one of those nameplate belts made with “Selma” on it. And I wore a lot of Juicy Couture. Actually, when I did “The Sweetest Thing” with Cameron [Diaz] and Christina [Applegate], they sent us tracksuits with our names on them, and I was like, “Let’s trade!” So I wore Cameron’s.
Speaking the early aughts: “Legally Blonde” is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and your character, Vivian Kensington, had the most incredible preppy wardrobe. Reese Witherspoon famously got to keep all of Elle Woods’ outfits; please tell me you did, too?
I got to keep almost everything! But people like Reese — or Sarah Jessica Parker [with her “Sex and the City” wardrobe] — took their things and they archived them. They knew they’d be a big deal.
My issue is that I’ve always been big on unloading things and giving things away. I’d give stuff away for an auction, for this or that. Like, I had the brown Miu Miu look Vivian wears in the scene when Elle’s in the Playboy bunny costume; I wish I’d kept that.
The only thing that I still have is that argyle beret. And actually, I still have my beret from “Hellboy,” too. Berets for days!
Where do you think Vivian would be in 2026 — and what would she be wearing?
Vivian Kensington would be vice president, and she’d be wearing all the things I gave away. She’d be wearing that Miu Miu set!
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Read the full article here
