Costume designer Mona May is responsible for many iconic looks that came out of the ‘90s. The designer is behind the clothes of Cher in “Clueless,” “Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion” and “Never Been Kissed.”
Her credits span 66 films and to this day, her looks are recreated at costume parties every year and on TikTok.
Below, May breaks down some of her memorable films with Variety and discusses what it was like working with frequent collaborator, actress Drew Barrymore.
There is a thread that connects some of the movies you worked on, especially in the ’90s; movies like “Clueless,” “Never Been Kissed,” “The Wedding Singer” and “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.” There is a search for identity in all of those movies and the clothes are an expression of that, of finding who you are.
Not just in the ’90s. There is “Enchanted” (2007) and “The House Bunny” (2008) and “American Reunion” (2012). To me, [those are] stories [of women] learning something very feminine about feeling good in [their] skin. How the clothes fit is very important [in that regard]. And [in] comedy, it’s the balance between funny and truth. It’s almost intuitive, how I work, how I create the mood in the world. It’s so emotional. I think colors [are] emotional.
You worked with Drew Barrymore as part of your long-standing collaboration. From the way her character, Julia, dresses in “The Wedding Singer,” that movie is so ’80s, to the point of parody. But with her full skirts and pretty cardigans, she looks more timeless and maybe even a little ’50s. What went into that look?
In the ’80s and ’90s, the big thing was the little granny dresses that we all wore with Converse or Dr. Martens. That was sort of the take. Because she didn’t have a lot of money. She went to thrift stores and picked up the feminine dresses [from] ’50s and ’40s and made a little punk-rock look in a way, but also very simple, very feminine. There was no fuss about her. She was super down-to-earth. It was all about heart; she was searching for herself.
What was it like collaborating with Drew?
Drew is very much a collaborator with costume designers. She loved shopping with me; she really is hands-on. When we did “Santa Clarita Diet” so many years later, we were just laughing in the fitting so much. She was bringing me stuff or sending me pictures. It’s so wonderful to have such an open actor who really wants to be part of the process. Alicia Silverstone [in “Clueless”] was the same way. It was truly 60 changes for her to accomplish [her looks]. And Amy Adams [in “Enchanted”] where she had to wear the crazy dress. And even “The House Bunny” where the girls had so many changes during the transformation. It’s great when you can have the trust of the actor and they want to be part of your playground.
Christine Taylor’s character is the opposite of that — sexually outspoken, with the big hair and typical ’80s look.
I love playing with character [contrasts] like that. She was a fashion victim a little bit. So it’s a little bit over the top. But it’s fun, it’s a comedy and you want to bring some levity to things. And she was game, too; went with all the accessories and the headbands and hair ties and petticoat skirt. She was so much fun to work with.
And what was Adam Sandler like? His character is an ’80s man too, but sort of in a sweet way that disarms you.
He’s like a timeless character, little bit like Josh in “Clueless.” Those guys who just wear jeans and t-shirts and button-downs. He has his uniform for his performances, his blue jacket, which he thought was so cool, we made a vintage tuxedo jacket for him. I think both of them were so charming and innocent [through] their way of presenting themselves. They didn’t have to have all the bells and whistles that some of the other characters had for sure.
In “Never Been Kissed,” with the costumes for Rosalind and Orlando, the Barbies or “Risky Business,” were they in the script or did you put the ideas on the table?
I put the ideas on the table. That’s the fun part of my job, to really marry the characters and bring something fresh to the director. The Barbies were perfect, right? Especially quite funny when later in the prom they get hit [with dog food] on their perfectly fabulous outfits. I really went over-the-top with the accessories, I built everything. I love going to the mat. I’m kind of a maximalist when it comes to creating worlds. In “Clueless,” to go back a little bit, I created a world that didn’t exist. The kids would show up in the morning with their grunge clothes. I had to give them a head-to-toe. And same with the [Never Been Kissed] prom. Everyone on the screen has been touched. Even with the nerds, the double helix. In comedy, a little bit of levity and laughter is always something that I look for in my costumes. I just want to delight people.
What went into the look for “Romy and Michele”?
[I went with something] very sophisticated for it; [a little] European and a little bit American like Ralph Lauren. It’s timeless. It can be now or 2025; that will never go out of style. And I think it was a nice contrast with the girls who are kind of in their own world, with fashion, fun and silliness. So she had to be a little serious because we wanted to make sure that she was believable. If she says their dresses are good, then everybody’s going be like, “Oh, well she said so.” If you think about Anna Wintour or someone like that who has her signature, that’s kind of what I was going after. Immediately after seconds, you’d know she’s high fashion.
A through-line in all of my work is finding things are very timeless. So I always try to find something that doesn’t define the age of the movie. I always look for something that’s more visionary and fresh and timeless. Even though it’s trend-settings of the time, it still translates and [stands] the test of time. A couple of decades later, I still have these new fans, the 16-year-olds and the young generation also inspired by it, which is really phenomenal.
In the past five to ten years, there seems to be a lot more mainstream interest in costume design as a cinematic craft. But there are more eyes on what costume designers are doing these days.
As costume designers, we were overlooked. People really also did not understand what costume design is [or] the amount of work that goes in there and really how much costuming influences everything in the film. Seeing the actor on the screen for just 10 seconds…everything is out there [through costuming]. In seconds, you can tell who they are by what they are wearing. You know psychologically how they feel; depressed or happy. [And] their economic [status]. Where they shop. Where do their clothes come from? That’s what I love about my craft, the magic that happens in a fitting room [with the actor] when we try the clothes on and figure out who they are. And that moment when they put something on and the outfit really resonates on every level where they go, “Aha, I feel who I am!” It almost gives me goosebumps, when the director and the actor look at each other [and go], “here it is!”