A Vancouver clothing designer who beat the odds to overcome a 25-year battle with drug addiction is getting the chance to showcase her wares at Hollywood’s biggest event of the year.
The t-shirts of Addictive Designs will be included in the coveted Oscar swag bag.
“I’m excited. It’s a big deal,” Owner Heidi Smith says of the inclusion in this year’s collection.
Her designs include messages of inspiration and hope, and are meant to start conversations about mental health and addiction. She sees the distinctive shirts as the equivalent to the awareness ribbons used by advocacy groups as symbols of support.
Smith said she hit rock bottom five years ago when she temporarily lost her son, and she beat her demons by shifting her energy into creation and design.
“It’s exactly what I was supposed to be doing. I was just kind of getting by in life,” she said.
And now Smith is rushing to get all of her shirts prepared ahead of the big day.
This year's Oscar swag bag is worth over $200,000 and is given to some nominees. With a celebrity endorsement of her designs, it could be life-changing for her and her son.
“My intentions today are to give us both the best life possible -- and to be able to give hope to others,” Smith said.
The budding designer is excited for the potential growth of her company, but says she always finds time to help others who are struggling.
“I’m constantly available to help other women in my life,” she said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Julie Nolin
