A great Hollywood film becomes iconic when it has the right costumes to go with it. Just consider Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this weekend. Set in 1973, the story follows a 15-year-old music lover named William who follows a rock band, Stillwater, around for a Rolling Stone assignment. (Glam.) Along the way, he meets Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), the leader of a group of girls who trail various rock stars all over the country.
More than two decades later, Penny Lane’s groovy wardrobe, brought to life by costume designer Betsy Heimann (also known for her work on Pulp Fiction), remains a highlight—especially the long, shearling-trimmed coat that she wears. The piece has inspired designers and street style stars like Bella Hadid for years. “It’s so thrilling that people still love this movie and want to see this movie,” says Heimann. “Who knew it was going to be so iconic?”
Photo: Courtesy of Betsy Heimann
To mark Almost Famous’s special milestone this week, we couldn’t resist getting the coat’s full backstory from Heimann herself. Like any good costume designer, Heimann recalls the early conversations she had with Crowe about Penny Lane’s wardrobe, and the way it should reflect the film’s storytelling. “The coat was a big deal. I talked to Cameron a lot about it,” says Heimann. “He always said to me, ‘When the coat goes on, she’s got to come alive.’”
In the film, Penny slips it on in her very first scene. Not only does it instantly evoke her free-spirited nature, but it also serves as a kind of protection. “I knew the coat had to be two things,” says Heimann. “One, it was a coat of armor—that one piece of clothing that she could always put on, with a black dress or a T-shirt. But it was also a way of her becoming Penny Lane. When she puts it on and says, ‘I’m a Band-Aid,’ she’s saying, ‘I’m Penny Lane—everybody wants to be me.’”