100 Most Influential People in Fashion

Fashion Influential #88: Amy Heckerling

Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy, and Stacey Dash in a promo shot for Clueless. Image via Allocine.fr

AMY HECKERLING
Born:
May 7, 1954 in The Bronx, NY
Fashionable Films:
Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless, Loser
Fans:
Paul Rudd, Twink Caplan, Britney Spears (inadvertently)
Fan of:
Cameron Crowe, Alicia Silverstone
Beginnings.
Amy Heckerling directed her first film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, at the age of 28. The coming-of-age dramedy was panned by critics upon its 1982 release (Roger Ebert called it a "scuz-pit of a movie"), but it quickly garnered a cult following for its fresh perspective on American youth.

Career Highs.
With Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Heckerling showcased youth street fashion, bringing national exposure to Californian surf culture and poking fun at dorky after-school job wear. Her 1995 smash hit Clueless was equally if not more style conscious, with its ample use of knee socks and tartan skirts: at one point, Cher snaps "...but this is an Alaia!" when her mugger tells her to get on the ground. Women's Wear Daily called Clueless the "fashion film of the year."
Well, we exaggerated things. It was a comedy and we tried to maybe make fun of them (the characters) because everybody had nose jobs and phones and the reality is not that, and maybe in real life, the kids would not be wearing an Alaia dress to the party. But the reality part of it was that they looked really pretty.
-Clueless costume designer Mona May on her costume decisions, 1995

Phoebe Cates' Fast Times red bikini was nearly a cultural moment of its own.
Career Lows.
Heckerling directed the first two Look Who's Talking movies, which were commercially successful but critically abysmal. Her 2000 romantic comedy Loser, starring Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari, attempted to capture the American college culture at the turn of the century but fell flat. Her most recent effort, 2007's I Could Never Be Your Woman, never even made it to theaters.

Legacy.
After Fast Times, kids in the midwest started buying board shorts. Clueless helped drive the rise of teen-centric mall stores like Claire's, where one can buy feather-tipped pens like Cher's. And where do you think Britney Spears picked up her sexy schoolgirl look for the "Baby...One More Time" video? It's far more Cher Horowitz than St. Anthony's Catholic School.

A gallery of Clueless fashions.
Get the look.
The Fast Times looks require a certain laid-back, California cool. Think bandana headbands, denim jackets, and surf labels like Roxy and Billabong. Clueless-inspired looks are easy to put together: pair a neat blouse, a short plaid skirt, knee socks, and patent leather Mary Janes for a young, chic Cher look. Uber-girly accessories are a must. - Alicia