Dolled up in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES -- The next big fashion trend is straight out of your preteen fantasies.

It's like Barbie's wardrobe. A cool ensemble for every moment of her busy life, with matching mules and cutesy accessories. Remember those plastic diamond rings?

If you've forgotten the details of Barbie's fashion stance in the late '60s, it's all detailed for you in "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion," the trendiest fashion flick since "Clueless."

In this case of blonde leading the blonde, Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow star in the movie as two live dress-up dolls with "Clueless" tastes on minimum-wage budgets. Without sugar daddies to dress them up, Kudrow's character designs couture clothes and whips them up on the sewing machine. These are super short, body-hugging dresses selected by costume director Mona May (she worked on "Clueless" and its spinoff TV series), who was inspired by fashions on the runways of London, Paris and Berlin.

"Some of the looks you'll see in the movie are now in stores, but when we started making the film more than a year ago, the only suitable fashions I found were on European runways," May said. "I bought some original designs, particularly from Christian Lacroix, and then redesigned them to fit differently -- to be shorter or tighter -- in other words, less serious and more humorous than originally intended.

"The Valley thrift stores were a great source for accessories, including the vintage cherry necklace and earrings that Lisa wears. And I also bought several of the little purses," she said, "but we often camped them up with spray paint and glued-on rhinestones. It was the same with the shoes. None of the brightly colored mules you see in the film were bought that way, although you'll find colorful shoes in stores this season."

One of the fashion trends spotted in the film are big cocktail rings worn on several fingers. May said they were designed by an L.A. jeweler named Trina Tarantino, but you can find real gem look-alikes at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue and on-the-cheap plastic versions at Rampage and Contempo Casuals.

Although May came close to making Sorvino and Kudrow's characters look like dress-up dolls, she drew the line at the transparent fashion trend. "They just aren't flattering," said May. "They're too trendy and cross the line into bimbo territory."

It's a fine line between Barbie and bimbo. Even makeup artist Collier Strong was challenged.

"My concept was Barbie doll, but the characters have different personalities, and the makeup had to reflect that. For instance, Sorvino's character is stronger and a tad bossy, so we used darker, richer lipstick and eye shadow; while Kudrow's character is more feminine, so she's in lots of frosty pinks. But both girls have lots of thick black eyeliner, fake lashes and arched brows, which are in keeping with the Barbie doll look."

Hair was a big issue in the film, too. According to hairstylist Richard Marin of Cloutier Agency in Los Angeles, "These were party girls, and all they care about is hair, makeup and clothes ... and a bad-hair day would have meant their hair looked normal."

So, to achieve the big hairdos, Marin was heavy-handed with Bumble & Bumble pomade and Redken and Loreal hair spray.

"All the hair is their own, done with lots of teasing -- except for the Madonna ponytail on Sorvino," said Marin.

For those fashion fans who want to follow Romy and Michele's shopping strategy, watch for fall merchandise to hit the malls. Those doll dresses, with feather and fur trims, will be offered by a number of affordable designers, including Betsey Johnson and Bonnie Strauss.

Pub Date: 5/01/97