Mona May

Mona May is an American costume designer who has worked on over 70 movie and television programs. With her trademark feminine style, using bold colors and feathery boas, May has been designing costumes since 1989.

May has been hailed by some as "The Queen of 90s Movie Fashion". She is best known for her work on Amy Heckerling's teen-comedy Clueless (1995). Additionally, she has worked on other popular late-90s and early-2000s films such as Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), The Wedding Singer (1998), A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), and Loser (2000). In 2008, she was nominated for a Costume Designers Guild Award for her work on Disney's Enchanted (2007).

Early life Mona May was born in India to a German mother and Polish father. She grew up in Warsaw and Berlin. She then moved to New York City, and later Los Angeles, where she now resides. May studied fashion in Paris and New York, and attended the Fashion Institute Of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Career After her studies, May worked on commercials and music videos for artists such as Run-DMC and Debbie Gibson. Fashion plays an important role in the film's narrative and character development. Cher's style fused over-the-knee 1920's style socks, 60s mod-style mini skirts, feather boas, and chic 90s designer slip dresses. The clothing for the film was a mix of vintage and high fashion, sourced from thrift stores and runways, with some pieces designed and made by May herself. Romy and Michele's Highschool Reunion. May has described her work on Romy and Michele's High School Reunion as a grown-up version of Clueless, with "higher heels and shorter skirts".

Much like Clueless, fashion also played a key role in Romy and Michele's Highschool Reunion. The clothes worn in the film are vibrant, textured, reflective and iridescent, with each color chosen to express the character who wears it. The main two characters, played by Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino, had about 35 to 40 costume changes throughout the film.

Filmography

Cultural impact and legacy The fashion from Clueless is often credited with reshaping the trends of the 1990s, from grunge, to more vibrant and feminine. Fashion designers, clothing lines, YouTubers, and celebrities riff off of Cluelesss style, created by Mona May. The styles of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion can also be seen referenced in certain fashion trends.

Celebrities such as Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, and Willow Smith, have worn versions of Cher's yellow plaid suit from Clueless .

Shortly after Clueless premiered, Karl Lagerfeld put a Chanel water-bottle holder on his runway, which was an accessory May created for Cher in the film. In the fall of 2018, Versace had a Clueless-inspired look on their runway in Milan.

Mona May's costumes from Clueless, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, and more, are often worn as Halloween costumes.