May Company was a chain of department stores in Southern California known for fashion retail, operating from 1881 to 1993. In summer 1981, the stores hosted a special promotion for the film The Great Muppet Caper, which was released on June 26th.
The film features Miss Piggy as an aspiring fashion model, and in keeping with the May Company's focus on fashion, the stores hosted a display of Miss Piggy's costumes, traveling to five stores in late June and July: Laurel Plaza, Fox Hills, South Bay, Westminster and San Diego. The stores also hosted two contests: a Muppet Coloring Contest for kids, with the prize described as "a Muppet Treasure Chest full of goodies," and a Miss Piggy Costume Design Contest for both children and adults. The Costume Design prizes were described as "a day at Universal Studio Tours for you and your family... you'll have a chance to view Universal's new Muppet Exhibit and take a tour of Universal's Costume Department."
In August, a new May Company store was opened in Palos Verdes, and to celebrate, the store hosted a display of original sketches for Miss Piggy costumes by famous designers: Michael Woulfe, Yvonne Wood, Edith Head, Sheila O’Brien, Helen Rose and Donna Peterson, Renie Conley, and Elois Jenssen. Six of the designs were posted on the October 13, 1980 entry for Henson.com's "Jim Henson's Red Book" site.
