Idina Menzel is making a fashion statement.
The 50-year-old Broadway legend has created her own clothing brand, Encore, which features trendy yet easy-to-wear clothes.
Menzel tells PEOPLE that she “never really regarded herself as a really fashion sort of girl,” but the idea to create the collection — which will be offered on QVC — stemmed from a desire to have apparel that she could wear to bed and yet look “cool” the next morning.
“Sleep to street, that’s kind of where it came from,” the actress tells PEOPLE with a laugh. “And then, when I started to really manifest the idea and put it out there, I [saw] how I could build upon that for an entire collection and really take decision making [of a day’s outfit] out of the equation.”
“I wanted to be able to go into my closet and not feel overwhelmed, and to know that I have these items that fit with everything in my closet — that the colours go together, that the fabrics feel amazing, that I feel confidence in them… and it all works together,” she explains.
“Even though I’m in these costumes and on these red carpets and all that stuff, the real me is someone at home who just wants to curl up on the sofa and feel comfortable,” Menzel continues.
Encore is priced between $40 and $100 and comes in 15 different sizes ranging from XS to 3X. Encore needed to be made in a variety of sizes, according to Menzel.
She explains, “The line needed to be inclusive and diverse, and it wanted to seem like it was for everyone.” “When you’re working on a line like this, it’s extremely exciting to see how a certain style looks on different body shapes and different types of women.”
“That was actually the most exciting thing for me,” the former Wicked actress continues. “I put myself in a room with some amazing colleagues, and I [told them] I need things to feel incredibly comfortable, and I model them after things that I like,” she continues.
Menzel notes that she intended the line’s name “to be suggestive of me, the performer, but more than that, on a deeper level, it’s this idea that the clothing are for all of us who play so many roles in our life.”
“We’re trying to multitask and keep it together,” she continues, “and every now and then everyone needs to stand on a platform in the spotlight and accept applause and have an encore.” “That’s how I truly feel, and all I want is for other people to feel the same way.”
In three words, how would she describe the line? “I would say: comfy, timeless, and honest,” Menzel tells PEOPLE.
Menzel claims that she is “at my best in my job when I am true to myself.” “I knew I didn’t want to just slap my name on something,” the actress explains, which drove her to get involved in the behind-the-scenes process of developing her collection.
“I needed to learn and understand this business, as well as cooperate with people who knew what they were doing and could help me bring this vision to life,” Menzel adds. “I didn’t want to embarrass anyone.”
The Glee alum says that partnering with QVC to market the brand “felt natural,” and that the platform allows her to “speak directly to my consumer,” which she thinks is “definitely my strength.”
“I think as a performer, I’ve learnt to be incredibly excellent at being vulnerable and authentic with people,” she says. “I make a living by attempting to connect with others.”
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