TS Elliott may have measured her life in coffee spoons, but millennial girls measure it in Selma Blair movies.

We went to high school when she hit the big screen cruel intentions; We got a diploma when she got her law degree cutie blonde. Our first G-string was inspired by her the sweetest sex capad; we copied her hell boy Grimace when complaining (annoyingly) in the gym. We also imitated her style. Her Chanel Shiny leather from her campaign Her jacket, Mew Her peekaboo from her Mew ad I combined it with and jeans. And we always cheered her on when she revealed her struggle with multiple sclerosis through her.very good) autobiography mean baby and document series Introducing Selma Blair.

This month, Blair unveils yet another role: Official Gap Style Icon, just in time for her annual fall fashion wake-up call. How the actress dressed Valentino, what she wants us to learn from her onscreen sexual silliness, and where she thinks accessible fashion can go next .

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True or False: Before you were famous, you worked at The Gap.

so true! I love The Gap. Because their staples and reinvented staples are my fashion language. Back in Michigan, I worked at Gap, a shopping mall. Buying cookies at the food court during breaks and having Bennigan’s serve margaritas, it was just like a teenage mall job. But then I moved to New York and working at Gap was like being a celebrity.

Why?

Oh, it was the ultimate high and low! And it was always me… I mean, it was the ’90s and I was this young woman, living in the Salvation Army, trying to be an actress, working at Gap on the Upper East Side. of gap. It was all white inside, and everyone who worked in fashion came to this gap. Models came, Pat McGrath came, Valentino-I personally styled Valentino at The Gap.

wait. Were you Valentino’s personal Gap stylist?

It certainly was. I personally sold him his T his shirts and used to go down to the basement to stock up. I said to everyone else, “Nobody touched him.” tanned man It’s Valentino. I will sell him one of his pocket T-shirts at this store. He takes it to the yacht and costumes all of the Gap’s guests. ” I remember know By the way, it was very impressive that I gave the clothes to Valentino, who was very kind. I remember saying to him, They must be provided for everyone on the yacht so that they are comfortable. ‘ He said, ‘Wow, what a great idea! I think it’s the first time he felt like a celebrity.

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More gap tees, please.

Not only did I help Valentino, but I also became an expert at folding things neatly and equally. Still good at folding. At The Gap, we used this plexiglass ‘folding board’ to make it look great. However, you can also use just a cutting board. that’s what i do.

Can you help settle a dispute in the ELLE.com office? Greatest gap campaign ever?

wait what your?

Like carole king— piano bellbottoms send me — but Claire is 100 percent solid mild yellow.

I’m a dancer at heart, so I have to tune in to the swing khaki commercial. It’s just that everyone sees the shape and movement of its clothes and feels playful with its fashion, and it’s broadcast in a massive campaign and spread all over the airwaves. The Audrey Hepburn thing she’s dancing in is always a thrill, too, and if there’s dancing in the campaign, you’ll find this gap her silhouette is very chic while moving across the frame. These people are seen dancing freely and wearing clothes that allow them to move freely. Isn’t that the most symbolic thing, freedom?

Freedom is also accessibility, right? Did your experience with MS and mobility shape your view of accessibility in fashion?

Ultimately, it has to come down to style. I think it’s the fact that all body types are so different that they’re finally recognized and shamelessly made to be very respectable in their ability, size, shape, etc. I mean, 90 In the 1980s and early 2000s, I was embarrassed if I didn’t have a certain body type. It was like only certain bodies were allowed to be “cool.”Now we know it’s cool to offer…and obviously “accessible” style is exactly what styleAccessible fashion deserves more space and more focus.As I get older, I use a cane or use my own [service] Dog, I have to get creative in ways that make me still feel vibrant instead of feeling crushed, or in ways that acknowledge the strength of vulnerability. Every time I do something that makes me feel like I’ve been given something, it really gives me hope. increase.

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You have built an iconic career in fashion and film.it’s hard to believe the sweetest came out 20 years ago. You’ve gone from being a Gap employee to being a character who gets caught by a man at a mall.

oh my god. I liked the dressing room scene the most.it was mine favoriteit was the day after my birthday [and] I so I was tired that day. But I remember being so excited to shoot that scene. because it was filthy. And at the time, the girls weren’t driving the narrative for the “sexy” scenes.of the sweetest, We did and we were shy! To this day, I am very proud of it.like why won’t Do we get excited about sex, talk about sex, and have really funny moments surrounding sex?

Ohno. Did that scene really hurt? !

More than that, I had a lot of empathy. So we were filming one with a banana in his mouth, but it takes a whole day to shoot a movie scene, which means eight hours of him with a banana in his mouth. . When you were crying during the TMJ scene?I was so trapped I was really crying. For real Sweet about it. I mean, I just stared at him and cried for hours under the lights, with bananas in my mouth and grinding his sweaty crotch. And I love that we did it! [Laughs.]

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I love what you did too

I think it’s great that a woman has made a comedy about sex. we They were joking.In other words, Cameron [Diaz] and Christina [Applegate] They were the coolest people on earth. I couldn’t believe I was working with them. Christina and I have been through a lot together. We are still very close and I love Cameron. She’s gorgeous, she’s amazing, she’s fun, she’s generous and she has it all.so when i look back sweetest thing, Happy days. There was no sorrow for me on that road. It was a blast.

Let’s pivot to wellness for a moment.You’ve talked a lot about cold water swimming as part of your physical and mental recovery. difficult. How do you let yourself do something that you know will hurt you, even if it helps?

hmm i know what you mean. And even if you say, “The first few seconds hurt, but if you go in for two minutes, you’ll see what you can do and you’ll feel so much better!” It’s just hard.The first time I took an ice bath, it was so painful and disgusting that I literally cried and cried. so That night was okay, but I never took an ice bath again. Instead, go into a pool that’s around 50 degrees. I don’t heat the pool anymore. I just dive in. It was so great for my body and my mind. And remember, it’s okay to scream the first few times. As long as you’re doing it anyway, let’s scream.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.