Fashions of Clueless & More with Costume Designer Mona May

Iconic and prolific costume designer Mona May chats with host Candice Bloch to share about her journey becoming a prominent figure in the film industry. Considered the Queen of 90s Movie Fashion, Mona has created iconic looks for over 70 films and television shows. She is best known for her work on Clueless, as well as Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed, Enchanted, The House Bunny, and countless other films and shows. She discusses the influence of her diverse multicultural background on her colorful design aesthetic, the collaborative process of costume design, and the challenges of working within budget constraints. Mona reflects on her work on fun and feel-good films like Clueless and the importance of positive representation in media. You’ll also learn about her upcoming projects, including a book celebrating the lasting legacy and costumes of Clueless, in honor of the film’s 30th anniversary. Throughout the discussion, she emphasizes the significance of personal style and self-expression in fashion.

The Fashion of Clueless, released in October 2025, is available wherever books are sold and would make a great holiday gift!

To learn more about Mona May and her costume design work, visit https://www.monamay.com/ 

Follow her on Instagram @itsmonamay

Transcript

VO  •  00:10
Welcome to Media Makers Spotlight from Women in Film and Video in Washington, D.C. We bring you conversations with industry professionals for behind the screens, insight and inspiration. 

Candice Bloch  •  00:24
Thanks for joining us. I'm your host, Candice Block, and I'm super excited to talk today with iconic and prolific costume designer Mona May. Mona is best known for her work on Clueless, as well as Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed, Enchanted, The House Bunny, American Reunion, and so, so, so many more. And I'm thrilled to dive into her career and talk all about fashioning characters for screen. Welcome to the show, Mona. 

Mona May  •  00:49
Thank you so much. Great to be here. 

Candice Bloch  •  00:50
So you have an interesting backstory. You grew up in India, Poland, Germany. You've studied fashion in Paris, New York, Los Angeles. How do you think your experiences across a number of cultures influenced your approach to fashion styling and costume design? And when did you first discover that you had a love for fashion? 

Mona May  •  01:09
I was that kid that loved drawing princesses and all their different outfits. Basically, I already was doing collections, you know, at five years old. And dressing mom and telling everybody what to wear. I don't know where I knew all of this and how really I was so sure of myself at five you know really really it was really fun but growing up all over the world was really interesting I mean it really I think for me as an artist you know I think that we are who we are and you know how do we process art or what we see right it's it's all kind of influenced by it I mean being born in India the first you know I opened my eyes and I saw color so color really is something that's huge in my life, you know, huge. The way that I see the world, the way that I dress, the way that I express color in a way that it has emotion to me too, you know, so it's all over my work. So, you know, I think everything influences all your expenses wherever you grow up. So, this is huge, you know, and being able to be exposed to so many cultures, I think, gave me kind of like a global perspective. Now we talk that way, but you know, in a day when we made Clueless, for example, we didn't really, you know, that phrase wasn't coined yet. But I think it kind of gave me something that's more of a timeless fashion, you know, view of the world, something that kind of lives, because I've seen Japanese cultures and Indian cultures and, you know, how people dress in Poland, Italy. So I kind of maybe picked up the best pieces from everywhere and I can, you know, 

Candice Bloch  •  02:33
sprinkle that in my work. Well, that's part of what makes you so fabulous at what you do. So how would you then describe your own personal aesthetic? Like what inspires your style? 

Mona May  •  02:44
I'm very eclectic. I have different types of jewelry from Africa, India. I use watercolor the way that I dress. Again, I have pieces from 20 years ago. I have new pieces that I mix and match. Also, as we all go through phases. But I, for example, have a signature hat. I always wear hats, so that's kind of my signature. I love a hat. I think that puts the outfit together in such a better way. But yeah, I think that, again, you kind of can recognize me. I have jumpsuits. I wear a lot of jumpsuits, for example, for work. So I think having a signature is good. I just tend to go more colorful, but eclectic. 

Candice Bloch  •  03:21
Well, I mean, that's great. That goes with your background and sounds like your personality is very colorful as well. Yes, it is. So getting into what you do that brings all these amazing things to our screens, how much research do you like to do on the characters that you're going to be designing for? And like, how much do you want to know their backstories and motivations for how they would dress as well as like the evolution and story arc through a piece and how their clothing may change throughout and reflect that? 

Mona May  •  03:47
The research is everything. I mean, it's really everything. Like you have to have the, you know, the blueprint is the script. So you start with that. You talk to the director and kind of get an idea of what's in their mind. You know, how do they want to create this world? Who are these people? Where are they coming from? You know, what is their arc? What is their story, emotional story? You know, where they come from? all of it you know directors always already you know probably worked with the script sometimes years you know and and really know so much in depth about that so my job is to really get it out of them and find out and communicate and i think then i can take that into me and process it in my way how i see it you know so i can kind of blend directors are our chiefs you know so we we really are working for them to create you know what they envision in a way you know support it But I can always bring a spin of my flavor. And I think, you know, sometimes you work with directors that don't really know fashion or don't really know period clothes. So you have to kind of educate them as well. So, you know, I create boards for each character. I, you know, really work about with textures and not just fashion, but, you know, I bring mood boards in a way like, you know, are they set? So there's stuff that's kind of maybe reflects that from art or photography. All of that is very emotional. clothes, characters, moods. So I think layering all of that, because I also have to communicate with other departments. I have to talk to the director of photography, I have to talk to the production designer, even decorator, what kind of furnitures are they going to have? Where are they from? Are they depressed or happy? Is the house a mess? Are they Laura Ashley or are they Prada? All of that. Do they have money and not have money? So the boards are very great to communicate between the departments. And then once that's kind of worked out in a way, maybe not worked out because it's never really worked out, but we kind of are on the same page, then I go to the actors. And then I kind of work with the actors because they bring their own vision to it. How do they feel about the character? Maybe they're like, "Oh my God, the character will never wear yellow," or "Only baggy clothes." or I always want to have some stains on there or I'm a painter or whatever that is. So I have to kind of bring that into the field and then I can kind of start prepping, having all that information. Because now we don't have much time and money. So it's like if I don't have the right information, I can't really move forward in the right way because I'm wasting time and money. And there's no coming back. Sometimes you get actors the day before, two days before we're shooting. It's insanity. And the process of getting somebody into the fitting, you know, it's a complicated process. 

Candice Bloch  •  06:30
Well, it sounds like you've got to stay flexible and creative and have options the whole way through. And that's awesome that you do mood boards. I was going to ask a little bit more about your process, but you kind of explained it. And that's interesting to, you know, to make sure you're working with all of the other departments as well. And I'm sure, you know, it's also when you get to fittings, how comfortable actors are in the pieces themselves as well. 

Mona May  •  06:52
No, that's so important because it's all about trust. I think with the director, the director trusts you, you can deliver, the actor trusts you that you have their bag, that you're going to do the best for them, that you're not going to push something that maybe they don't want. Because in the end, as a costume designer, I have to bring the actor to the set 100%. They've got to feel 100% that character. They've got to be happy. If something is off and I push something, I didn't do my job. You know, I have to deliver them so they can just do their jobs, you know, seamlessly and happily. 

Candice Bloch  •  07:24
Yeah. So you and Amy Heckerling, director Amy Heckerling, you've described her as sort of a creative soulmate following a pilot that wasn't picked up prior to the production of Clueless. And Amy has even said that the best part of making movies is working with you. Can you tell us a little bit more about how and when you got hired for Clueless, like how that all began? 

Mona May  •  07:45
Well, I was very lucky because I worked with Amy on the pilot. and the pilot didn't get picked up, but we really connected. I mean, that was in the day before computers and cell phones, so we would bring tear sheets from magazines. We were like, "Oh my God," and it was the same tear sheet. So we knew, we just see things the same way, same sensibility, and it's hard to find that. I think when you find that, especially a work with a creative partner like that, it's so great because there's shorthand. You think the same, you understand each other. - Yeah, you're on the same wavelength. - Exactly, on the same wavelength. So when Amy wrote "Clueless," she called me and she said, "I really want you to do the movie. I see that you are just the perfect person because you have fashion background. You know, I'm European, which is also something a little different, so it's not so, you know, everything's so American in a way stuck in here, that I have a bigger point of view. And then I can translate that as a costume designer. So again, you're not just getting a fashion designer, but you have someone who can take that new point of view from the runaways, but then translated into the high school, into the 16-year-old girls. So the characters become authentic and real. And, you know, we love them. They're not just snooty models running around in high heels. 

Candice Bloch  •  08:57
Yeah. So you, Amy, only had a $200,000 costume design budget for Clueless, which even in the 90s isn't that big of a budget for a studio film. And Alicia Silverstone has 63 costume changes alone. And then there's, you know, dozens more for other characters. That's a lot. I read somewhere you only had even about eight weeks to do all this. So how did you achieve like such, you know, amazing, vibrant, interesting characters and fashions and how much planning was done in thrift and stuff was done with thrift stores around L.A.? 

Mona May  •  09:29
That's a big question. Oh, my God. I mean, it's it's I don't even know how I did it. Seriously, I think you're just young and you're so excited. And this is what you've got. and you know Amy was so brilliant and and we had such a great directions from her I mean the script was so amazing you know the characters were so developed we knew who these girls are and then once she asked them I mean it was like Alicia Silverstone it was no brainer you know I mean and she was the queen bee and how she had to be dressed and you know in her kind of controlling way of the world you know like the perfection that she was and kind of a preppy look and then Stacey Dash that It was, you know, kind of older and a little more sexier and funky and cool. And I mean, I also had to dress all the extras, you know, because we were creating, completely inventing a world that didn't exist. Everybody was wearing grunge. 

Candice Bloch  •  10:20
Right. 

Mona May  •  10:21
So you couldn't really take the extras and put them in a movie. They had to belong to this weird world that we were creating of high fashion, you know, so I had to spend money buying clothes for them as well. I mean, it was thousands of costumes and, you know, I had a great team, but it was kind the mother of invention too you know not having money okay what do we do we we have to create something that doesn't exist so we have to go everywhere we have to go to the thrift stores you know melrose was booming in the 90s that was just the best place we had all the cool shops you know there was like a red ball which was you know raver shops there were great thrift stores so there was a lot kind of here you know there was pre-amazon it was really pounding the streets you know it was was going to the mall to Contempo Casual you know it was going to the you know few of the designer stores that I could afford I mean like you know Saks Fifth Avenue or even Marcus and you know fighting some pieces like the yellow suit that I did and then really mixing and matching and that also kind of became something in the movie that was very fresh because kids didn't wear high and low in 90s you were either like punk rock or you were you know maybe preppy or you were you know vintage 40s rockabilly you kind of maybe you're the versace girl or you were kind of the the you know working girl in the in the suit and i kind of brought something very fresh by mixing it up you know so mixing the high and low mixing the trip store but even if i did shop at the trip store everything was tailored so it looked yeah didn't look designer you know you looked high fashion so there was a little trick that i used on all the you know all the costumes and coolers 

Candice Bloch  •  11:57
i personally love thrifting i love that not only is it great for the environment but also for your wallet um but you can find such unique gems and and uh you know change it up like you said as 

Mona May  •  12:07
well yes but you know with a small budget you have to be careful because in thrift stores you can't return right i can't buy a bunch of stuff and hope that works and then i'm like you know stuck but you know, we could put it to the extras too. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. And sometimes I'd imagine 

Candice Bloch  •  12:24
based on the role, I mean, there wasn't too much like action and clueless, but sometimes you need, you know, you need multiples of the exact same costume. And so you can't always do it. Yeah. 

Mona May  •  12:34
You know, it's an interesting process. I mean, sometimes actors just sweat really profusely and you have to, you know, maybe you're not even finding out till later. It's like, oh no, what do 

Candice Bloch  •  12:42
we do? Yeah. That's a consideration that I'm sure most people don't think of. But you as a professional do. In the 90s, fashion was predominated by the grunge style and everything. And Clues was this like colorful, fresh, bright, interesting, unique, playful style that has has been, you know, continuing on where people decades after continue to honor the styles from that. Yeah. So what has it been like to really be involved in this now that we've hit the 30 year anniversary of Clueless and people are celebrating all of that? What has it been like to be a part of different celebrations around this anniversary, even like designing a Clueless inspired suite at a Beverly Hills hotel and things like that? Like what? Talk a little bit about celebrating it. 

Mona May  •  13:30
Amazing. I mean, no one, you know, when we were making the movie, we were just doing our job and having so much fun, you know, having a great director. I mean, amazing cast. You know, we were all very young. I mean, most of the actors, I mean, Alicia Severson has done some movies, but it was like Paul Rudd's first movie. Don't know if he's on. I mean, all those kids, Breck and Mike, they just did some stuff, but nothing really. You know, here we are on the Paramount Laud, we are working, you know, it was so cool. But no one could predict it. We hope that it's a cool movie. You know, we were like, okay, like John Hughes. You know, he made cool movies. Maybe it's something like that, you know. But we knew that we had a great director and she knew what she wanted. You know, she allowed us also to kind of be open. She opened us up as artists. You know, she kind of allowed me to be the monomé, the colorful, with the ads, with the fashions. And I think she allowed the actors to kind of, you know, hone their craft, who they are as the characters, which I think allowed a lot of creativity. So I think that's kind of what lived. And there was a lot of joie de vivre, you know, and we were also like really bringing back femininity, you know, girliness, hopefulness, fun, you know, colors. And I think that would maybe what has lived through the years. And I think that what we, I feel like we're still celebrating now 30 years later. There's some kind of like nostalgia for that, for that kind of hopefulness, for that sweetness, for those fashions, for girliness. And that's what makes me really happy. And I think to celebrate this 30 years ago, to create a suite at Alarmatage where you can walk into Cher's world. It was so great to recreate the suite and curate her clothes and bring Cher back to life in a way that people could step into their world. I mean, it was quite amazing. It was emotional for people almost. And that's, I think, so fun because there's so much love for the characters. There's so much emotion that people have. they identified with the characters with Cher or Dion. And that's so beautiful too because you have the women who are like multi-generational women who were then young women seeing the movie who are now their 50s and now their daughters. And I meet fans as young as 15 and 8 who are seeing the movie and loving it. And some kind of a power that lived so many years. I think it really says something to how beautiful that film was. and really talked about friendship and female friendship and fashion, of course. But there was a movie about girls that nobody was making at the time. No one. The movie was rejected by numerous studios because they said, we need boys. No. And Amy was like, no way. I'm making a movie about girls and that's it. 

Candice Bloch  •  16:08
Yeah. We are even more than half the population. But yeah, I think another thing that you mentioned throughout as well is part of that, the positivity for it. It wasn't, there wasn't any cattiness. And Alicia's character, Cher, she's just really positive and like welcoming and sweet and kind and wants the best. So I think that's sort of, as you mentioned, like the positivity, the playfulness, the hopefulness. I think that's part of what helps keep it alive and keep it going because it's like, it's a feel-good movie, you know? 

Mona May  •  16:42
Yes, completely. 

Candice Bloch  •  16:43
It's a feel-good movie and I think we need that. And also, as you said, like you kind of were, creating a new world that wasn't the typical 90s. So it wasn't like dated. It was beyond an era and a decade. So I think that that's amazing as well. And I think it's continuing to be inspirational because it was just sort of this colorful, you know, sort of embracing of 

Mona May  •  17:04
more than just that era and that place. Yeah. And I like that you say that. 

Candice Bloch  •  17:11
So moving on to some of your other work, two of your other iconic films, Never Been Kissed and Romy and Michelle's high school reunion, they blend together fashion of the 80s and 90s as both main characters kind of retreat back to their 80s high school years in different ways. What was it like to design costumes on films where the fashions are from two distinct yet modern time periods? How do you celebrate that and blend them? 

Mona May  •  17:36
Well, I think, again, you start with the character. Who are they? And who are they now in the 90s? and then who were they in the 80s. So you kind of, you know, you have to find that kind of true line of who they were and bring them back. I mean, Romy and Michelle, you know, Michelle was always the feminine one. She was the designer, she was the funky girl with, you know, the cherry accessories and a lot of feather boas. And then, you know, Romy played by Mira Servino was much more kind of, you know, she was the boss lady and she was the smart one in the relationship. So you really take that through line from, you know, their characteristics that they have when the movie takes place in the 90s and then you take it back to the 80s so it's really fun you know so they were more like punk rockers they were like you know they love madonna you know and then you know mira was kind of in her in the big shoulder pad jackets and kind of in the darker colors so it's fun it's really fun going but i mean i love you know i was the kid of the 80s so it was really fun for me to kind of go and revisit the times you know i mean there was another movie i did that was the 80s wedding singer and that was really fun actually with you know our director Frank Karachi he made us bring pictures that actually pictures of us in the credits I remember 

Candice Bloch  •  18:45
that yeah showing everyone from that decade hilarious you know but it's so fun because we 

Mona May  •  18:51
were bringing pictures of us you know to set and like everybody was just laughing so hard oh my god you were this and you were that and you know taking little clues and you know it's really fun I mean period stuff is really interesting to do because it's just the approach to that you take you know and I love comedy so to me it's really whimsy and fun and really delighting people with silliness on screen I mean you know I mean never been kissed was crazy yeah Drew Barry was just the best person to dress she just loves to have fun you know we would go shopping together like in a day thank God it was before cell phones right there was this story in LA lawman's where like they had you know didn't even have private private changing rooms and just pick crazy stuff and have fun and you know really i mean what's the best part about costume design is telling the story of this character and their arc i mean you know in never been kissed it's like she's this dowdy little you know bookworm girl then she goes undercover to high school the crazy outfits that she thinks that she's fitting in but then as the movie you know develops and she's learning about herself she figures it out who it really is and she becomes this strong beautiful young woman at the end where it's amazing you know it's like she's waiting to get the the kiss and her beautiful chiffon pink dress and she's a woman now you know and that's what's so fun to be able to show those changes and who who the women are you know i do so many female kind of driven comedies and movies and i love that you know i love really empowering women showing them that they can be all different ways you know yeah and really accept themselves in all different ways and have fun with fashion and hopefully, you know, that can influence someone to go home and maybe not wear the black outfit today. 

Candice Bloch  •  20:37
I mean, unless it's a really cool, interesting part of their look and fabulous. But I've noticed that, you know, most, if not all of your projects have that sort of similar through line of being kind of bold and vibrant and playful. And that you said that, you know, that kind of goes with your style and everything. So what would you say are some of the fringe benefits of working on more positive and fashion forward environments compared to, say, like if you were known for designing 1800s war epics or something? You know, like there's different types of stories, but you seem to be in these bold, vibrant, positive ones. 

Mona May  •  21:14
I just like to have fun and I love to embody that world. I like to be in that world, you know. I don't really like blood that much, you know, or crime stories so much. I don't like police uniforms. I've done them. But to me, this is fun. This is just exuberating. I mean, just took the fittings with these women and laugh and, you know, tell these stories that are positive that, you know, I mean, look at the films. People remember my movies. You know, this is great. I mean, you know, Romy and Michelle and The Ribbon Kiss and Chanted House Bunny. It's fun. It's fun to do these movies that are memorable, you know, that bring kind of the positivity. I feel good when I'm doing the movies. 

Candice Bloch  •  21:52
Yeah, I know that even when movies can be really dark or heavy, often the sets are pretty light by comparison. But it sounds like even the research for you is fun too. It's not like you're digging into wars and things. 

Mona May  •  22:04
Exactly, and the fittings, and you're going to shopping for boas, and you're going to shopping for crazy accessories. I mean, it's really fun. 

Candice Bloch  •  22:11
Yeah, it sounds like quite a fun line of work you've gotten yourself into. 

Mona May  •  22:15
It's not easy. You have to find many exceptions. Yes. And in a very short time. And it has to work. And it has to please everybody. The actor. You know, not even more people. Because now you have studios. Oh, yeah. And you have to send like email to like 20 people. Are they going to agree on this one necklace? And you're like, oh, yeah. You know, I mean, if you're like, you know, 12 hours till you shoot. And you're waiting for the approval. You know, somebody to like wake up and maybe get on their computer at some desk or somewhere in some country. Because we're working in so many different places now. 

Candice Bloch  •  22:47
But that said, do you have like a team that you work with over and over when the projects are bigger and allow for larger teams and everything? Like are there people that are go-to members of your team? 

Mona May  •  22:57
I did. You know, when we're more set in Los Angeles, you know, for many years, I mean, a lot of my movies were actually made in L.A. I did. I had a beautiful team. You know, it was really wonderful to have the same people. You know, they have your back and, you know, there's a shorthand. But no longer. I mean that Hollywood is really not really in Hollywood anymore. 

VO  •  23:17
Yeah. 

Mona May  •  23:18
I work overseas, I work in Vancouver, I work in different states in which I can bring crew with me. Unfortunately they just let the head of departments travel. So it's very hard, you know, you're meeting people and you hope that they're not lying on their resume. Yeah. They really have the skills that they are saying. and you know some places are not also so film centered so people are like hey it's five o'clock i want to go home you know i got a family and it's like what we are shooting or you know we are working saturday so it's interesting it's a different environment it's a you know it's a different culture i mean the culture in la was film culture you know i mean we were here we were we were in the business we knew what we were doing you know this this the level of skills here was was amazing and you know unfortunately it's it's not much that's happening in LA so it's it's different now you know I mean I did four movies in Berlin in the last few years and that's been really fun because I was able to come back to the same crew and it's such a delight it's like you know it's your family members you become family because you work so many hours and so it's nice 

Candice Bloch  •  24:25
when that can happen yeah um for some of our listeners who might not know who all involve might be involved in like the costume department I mean you're like a costume designer but can you explain some of the roles and positions that you might be working with? 

Mona May  •  24:40
Well, the crews can range from, you know, three people to 10 people to 40 people, just depending on the size of this, the picture, you know, if it's contemporary and you're shopping or is it something that you're making, you know, length of prep. But, you know, basically it's the costume designer who's head of the department, like me, who kind of, you know, deals with the producers, directors, you know, all the creative stuff, does the fittings. And then underneath, I would have like a supervisor who does all the financial stuff, organization stuff. She hires the crew as well. She knows where the crew needs to be on set and how many people. If we have 100 extras, we need more people on that day. She deals with the budget. On a TV show, she would be dealing with a weekly budget for every episode. On a movie, it's a little bit different. They track the money. Nowadays, it's becoming more like an accountant too. It used to be much more creative that they could come to set or be on a wardrobe track. Unfortunately now it's different. Then I would have an assistant costume designer who helps me with fittings, shopping, getting everything kind of my right creative hand. Then we have key wardrobe people who are kind of now we give them what we what we prep and they prep with us so they would go shopping, prepare the fittings with my costume designer assistant. You know they also report to the supervisor and then And the next layer would be like the costume makers, so people who make patterns, people who make the seamstress tailors, age or dyers to look the clothes old, specialty people who make maybe like walk around costumes or something that you need that has to move or light up, or the blood has to squirt from the inside of the outfit. And then kind of the last layer, very important layer, is the set people. So the set people really carry on my vision from the fitting room. what accessories i want and how the sleeves should be rolled up to the set so when they set up the room for the actor with clothes they help the actors to get dressed and they keep the continuity on a set so we know and they know when the outfit has to change let's say they go to work in one outfit and then they come back and they change for dinner and then maybe they have a date and then they maybe put the sleepwear on all those costume changes are prepared by me and my kind of uh prep crew in a way and then they they keep it continuity and then they you know put it on a truck they also make sure it's cleaned you know it goes dry cleaner overnight um so kind of that's the base of the crew and it just depends how big of a project on something like enchanted i had 40 people working for me because we were making costumes we were you know tailoring everything and aging on something like uh you know smaller picture it could be 10 people you know i just did something with katrine Hardwick, which was a $5 million movie, and I had four people, you know, and we have to manage. And it's sometimes, you know, it's the same amount of work or things, but it's time is shorter, money is less, you know, and you have to really adjust. I think you have to be very versatile. 

Candice Bloch  •  27:35
Different set of creative challenges added on top. Yeah, so you mentioned Enchanted as well. You've also done, you've done that and Stuart Little too. And what is it like doing costume designed for animated characters and non-human animated characters at that? 

Mona May  •  27:53
It's fun, but hard, because Stuart had the worst body of an actor in the world. He's four inches tall, has short leg and a tail and a belly and no neck and ears. Big ears. And the director, Rob Minkoff, said to me, I just want him to look like he went to shop at The Gap. 

Candice Bloch  •  28:12
Well, The Gap is for humans, yes. 

Mona May  •  28:15
But those kind of challenges are great. You're learning all different ways of designing. You're working with a small character, different proportions. You're working with computer guys, CGI guys, who are building everything in a computer. We never made the clothes with real cloth. I go inside of the computer with them and tailor the clothing. Pull it here a little bit, change it here. We did the movie so many years ago. now there's such a new technology to do it. And now with AI, it's almost seamless with some of the things. But it was really fun because I was able to kind of go into a new phase of things and learn something. And from there, I was able to jump on Enchanted, which was a very cool movie because it was iconic Disney characters living in this 2D world. And then they had to jump out of the hall in the middle of New York City and become human characters with the same clothing. So translating the 2D animation very flat, almost like outlines, to live action clothes with layers. And, you know, I mean, if you think of, you know, Giselle, Amy Adams, big, fluffy white dress that just layers and layers and butterflies and, you know, glitter and stuff, which was really fun. And then Susan Sarandon character was really cool because we went from 2D animation, the evil queen, to the animation, to live action, you know, for kind of walking in her, you know, slick outfit in the middle of, you know, 42nd Street in New York, which was pretty crazy to shoot because they couldn't really stop the traffic. Oh, wow. And then she became the CGI dragon. So I had to kind of really learn how to navigate 2D animation, live action and CGI character and all have, you know, seamlessness. in a way how they translate it from one place to another, one medium to another. It was very cool. I love these challenges. I did another movie called Haunted Mansion with Rob Binkoff, and that was really cool too because I got to do something especially there. Rob wanted the characters in the ride, when they go through the graveyard, to glow. But he didn't want to do his CG, so I came up with this really cool effect, which I used Scotchlight, which is the stuff that's on the road signs and like your clothing when you, you know, 

Candice Bloch  •  30:29
like reflective paints and stuff. 

Mona May  •  30:31
Reflective stuff, yeah. But what it is, it's actually microscopic glass beads that are like, you know, fused into the material or the road signs. But I was able to get from 3M the powder. And I mixed it with paint and actually applied it onto the costumes. And then the camera lens had to have a ring of light around it. So it's reflected into the lens. 

Candice Bloch  •  30:51
That's so cool. 

Mona May  •  30:51
So the costume looked glue and kind of were outwardly. a very kind of organic way, you know, so those are the things, I mean, as a costume designer, 

Candice Bloch  •  30:58
I just get off of that stuff. Oh my gosh. I mean, that's what I find so fascinating too. It's like, this is the stuff that, I mean, I love when you see behind the scenes stuff and, and you see, you know, like they designed a specific fabric print that, you know, is their family crest and it's only on the inside of the jacket, like these little fun, fun things. That said, are there like Easter egg type things like that, that you've put into projects that fans have grabbed onto and ones that maybe they haven't discovered? 

Mona May  •  31:25
Well, I'm kind of the Easter egg. I put myself in the movies. I was actually in Clueless. I played a masseuse. 

Candice Bloch  •  31:31
Nice. 

Mona May  •  31:32
I'm on the screen very little. I'm enchanted as well. I play a shop girl. 

Candice Bloch  •  31:38
That's so cool. 

Mona May  •  31:40
So it's really fun. I have a little, you know, I mean, it's just cameos, but it's really fun. 

Candice Bloch  •  31:44
You're going to have to rewatch all of these and look for you. 

Mona May  •  31:48
But I think, you know, I do use the color and kind of the certain shapes that are my signature. So, you know, those are kind of the things that you may see in place 

Candice Bloch  •  31:56
and be like, oh, that's kind of a Monaism thing. It feels very Mona. Yeah. 

Mona May  •  32:00
Yes. 

Candice Bloch  •  32:02
That's awesome. Well, we talked about films. I know you've done TV as well. Also, I just want to say shout out to Santa Clarita Diet, which I thought was one of it was such a fun show. And when you're talking about not liking blood earlier, I'm like, well, you had to deal with it for that. 

Mona May  •  32:17
But it was a fun way to do it. Yeah, it was definitely. I mean, Drew Barrymore eating humans and blending them in a blender. And it was also great because it was such a cool character to work on, too, because, you know, she kind of is a little bit dowdy, too, in a way, in the beginning and kind of not sure of herself. You know, she's wearing kind of like ugly suits and, you know, she's a real estate agent. And then as she starts eating the humans, she just becomes super powerful, you know, and like her fashions. I mean, she's just like it becomes a fashionista. You know, she's now wearing Alexander McQueen suits, you know, and telling other girls how to be powerful. It was fun. 

Candice Bloch  •  32:54
Yeah, and that's a perfect example of that arc of like how costumes and what a character is wearing reflects like how they're feeling and everything. That's so great. 

Mona May  •  33:02
Yeah, yeah. And Drew is a hood. You know, I mean, it's been so great to like, you know, have these girls in my life for so many years. Alicia, I still work with her. You know, Drew Barrymore. I mean, it's really fun. It's really great. And same with directors, you know, to work with the same directors. And Amy, I'm still such a close friend with, I mean, Rob Minkoff and I've done like five movies with him. So it's cool. It's really, you know, it's family. 

Candice Bloch  •  33:23
Yeah. Yeah. That's wonderful to come to be able to come back to that and have that comfort already and working relationship. So you've also worked on a fair amount of shows and movies aimed at younger audiences, you know, like Xenon the Z-Qual. I loved all those little Xenon movies. Cheetah Girls. Cheetah Girls, One World, Wizards of Waverly Place, the movie, things like that. So is there like a, do you feel a different set of like parameters or responsibility that you find to the audience in terms of embracing trends, setting trends and being appropriate yet fun when styling with younger people? 

Mona May  •  33:54
I think it's, I'm the same me, you know, I just do what I do. I think I have to be a certain way appropriate, of course, because it's a Disney show. I mean, there are certain rules and regulations that they have along the skirt has to be. stuff but i think again bringing something fun and really exuberant and something to emulate you know it was really wonderful also work with these very young actresses who are kind of budding at that time and really help them in a way to kind of understand their bodies understand who they are encourage them in some ways you know to really accept themselves too that was really important to me and i was interested because there's a lot of pressure on these young girls you know especially when you're in a system as well yeah how you should be and what it is and you know so kind of creating this very easy atmosphere was really cool you know the i really enjoyed working for disney and you know it was kind of some up my alley you know all that stuff i mean the color and exactly femininity and silliness and and exuberance and music and you know music numbers and i mean cheetah girls was really great because i got to go to india which is actually where i was born and you know we worked with the costumes, American and Indian, and how it kind of influenced each other. You know, so there were really great opportunities there, you know, at Disney Channel. It was cool kind of education in a way, too, you know. And it was fast-paced, and I had to be on my toes, and, you know, we traveled. I mean, it was a lot, but it was fun. You know, it prepared me for all the other things that I've done later. 

Candice Bloch  •  35:21
Well, it sounds like, as with anything in life, you're just always constantly learning and growing and that's it's great to learn to learn more as you're continuing even in the same field you're just it's never without opportunity to learn more and to to experience more can you tell us about your recently released book the fashion of clueless which is about the lasting 

Mona May  •  35:39
legacy of the film in its costumes recently released you know october 28 but uh it's just a wonderful legacy i think it's something that people can take home and be with their camera characters intimately look at all the behind the scenes costumes you know and and my little processes you know talking to the actors i mean paul rad and alicia and amy heckling and you know remembering things from the time i mean we found like costume continuity polaroids that nobody has seen in 30 years including myself that are in there now i have like little style guides you know how to maybe wear what you could wear a chair for a date and you know it's it's i i feel so honored to have this book because it is really a legacy for me and for people and something that really can live forever you know you don't have to go to the movies it can be on your coffee table book and you can come can reach out anytime and be with these girls and boys and i think something to be inspired to to have some it's to me it's very inspirational book it's it's very me which is really fun it's kind of like you know it's an artist notebook in a way yeah that sounds awesome 

Candice Bloch  •  36:48
Well, we'll make sure to put where people can find that in the show notes and everything as well. I did see that recently Peacock said they're going to be developing more of Cher Horowitz's story with Alicia Silverstone continuing sort of clueless stuff. Amy Heckerling is going to be an executive producer on that. Are you going to be part of that sequel series at all? 

Mona May  •  37:07
I hope so. We'll see what happens. I mean, it's very early stages. You know, I think they may be just starting to write it. I think Alicia is going to be a mom, you know, with a teenage daughter. I don't know much more about it. where they're shooting, what's happening, but let's hope so. I mean, I'm part of the team. 

Candice Bloch  •  37:21
Yeah, I was going to say, it's not really Clueless without your iconic fashion. So hopefully they do bring you back. 

Mona May  •  37:27
No, I mean, it's a take on Clueless. I don't know if you could ever remake Clueless. Really, truly, I think it's just a kind of continuation of a story. Yeah, it's a continuation. Character, you know. But yeah, it should be fun. I mean, I'm right now consulting on Romy and Michelle Broadway musical, which is really... 

Candice Bloch  •  37:42
Ooh, that's fun. 

Mona May  •  37:43
But that's been really, really cool. just you know working with robin schiff who was the original writer of the film and the play before that so it's really fun to kind of revisiting the characters and you know how can you kind of bring them to to a theater yeah setting no but clueless also has a musical that was in london which was really fun too i went to the premiere with amy in march and it was really great to see my costumes on the stage yeah it was a beautiful fun show and you know i mean it was so fun seeing like four best friends, you know, middle-aged woman, like just giggling and running around and then being so happy, like on a date, you know, and seeing the show. It was really fun. 

Candice Bloch  •  38:19
That's awesome. That's, yeah, power to the ladies for doing stuff like that. 

Mona May  •  38:22
Yeah, for sure. 

Candice Bloch  •  38:23
And for being out there and in the media, everything that we get to see too, as you know, we're a big proponent of that here. Do you have any tips on how they can help find their unique personal style and fashion? Because I know the book has tips and things in it too. 

Mona May  •  38:36
Well, you know, I think that in all of it, you have to follow your passion. whoever you are whoever you're becoming and i think you have to really discern yourself you know who am i am i the girl that has tall beautiful legs and maybe i can show him or you know i have a great cleavage and that's kind of my i have fabulous arms you know what is my proportion like how do i really you know find that i think that you know with the fast fashion is hard because everything's kind of not made very well and we don't really understand how close should fit and we should learn that i think we should learn our bodies you know i think alterations are not that expensive if you can take it to a little dry cleaner and they usually have the little tailor there that maybe you have to cuff up the pants or make your sleeves a little three quarters because it's nicer or hem something up a little higher. So those are kind of the things you may want to learn about yourself. Who are you? What is your body shape? And maybe not always you have to stick with the trends. I mean, I think that it's nice incorporating the trends, but finding kind of your signature is cool. And then what is your color palette? What is your skin tone? I mean, Alicia Silverstone was a different color palette than Stacey Dash. I could put the bright colors on her with her skin tone. So kind of finding that too would complement you. Because I think in the end, it just makes you feel good when you kind of look in the mirror like, all right, I'm looking good today. Let's have fun. And maybe we can inspire others too with our confidence. It's being confident and kind of feeling good in your skin. It's really what it's all about. 

Candice Bloch  •  40:08
Yeah, that's so awesome. Definitely. I think everyone knows what it feels like to when you when you like what how you look in the mirror or you love the outfit you put together. It just you have so much more energy and confidence walking out into the world. I love it. Absolutely. So I just wanted to let people know where can they learn more about you, your work and possibly where they can get the book? 

Mona May  •  40:28
Well, they can find me on Instagram, of course. And my handle is itsmonamay. So I-T-S-M-O-N-A-M-A-Y. They can go on my website monamay.com, which is really cool because I have like process. You can look at some sketches and it's really kind of behind the scenes of my artistry. I really, really love my website. And the book is going to be on Amazon and also booksellers near you. And you can get it at Barnes & Noble's in LA, BookSoup. But I think it's, you know, it's going to be pretty much everywhere, which I hope so, because Christmas is coming. Yes, definitely. Right for you and your friends. 

Candice Bloch  •  41:06
Yeah. And it's easy to see because it's got that iconic yellow plaid on the cover. Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you so, so much for talking with us today about all of this. Everyone check out like all of her movies and more of what you've got going on and the book as well. I thank you for contributing such fun and colorful and vibrant and amazing costumes to the world of media. And thank you so much for sharing all about that today with us here. 

Mona May  •  41:33
Of course. And my next movie is called Street Smart with Katrine Hardwick directing. She did 13 and Lords of Dogtown. So very cool director, very edgy, fun film about young people living in Venice Beach. So check it out. 

Candice Bloch  •  41:49
Yeah, we will. All right. All right. Thank you. 

VO  •  41:53
Thanks for listening to Media Maker Spotlight from Women in Film and Video. To learn more about WIF, visit W-I-F as in Frank, V as in Victor.org. This podcast is produced by Sandra Abrams, Candice Block, Brandon Ferry, Tara Jabari, and Jerry Reinhart, and edited by Michelle Kim, with audio production and mix by Steve Lack Audio and Ed Saltzman. Subscribe to continue learning from more amazing media makers. 

VO  •  42:25
Please visit MediaMakerSpotlight.com for more information. That's a wrap!