I didn’t immediately think about fashion as a career, but I finally got my degree in fashion design. After school, I moved to Paris to follow my dream of becoming a designer. That didn’t really work out at the time, so I ended up moving to New York after four months in Europe. There, I worked as an assistant designer in the fashion district. One night, I met a costume designer at a party, and knew exactly what turn I wanted my career to take.
I was on a mission: I wanted to be a costume designer.
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I love the idea of the intersection of costume design and fashion design, because in my head, they seem like two totally separate things, especially in the very show- specific world of theater, but after reading this article I can completely see the important in the marriage between these two worlds (“practical” fashion and “theatrical” design), especially for a period piece like Mad Men. Even though I’ve never watched the show, I’ve seen a lot of stills from it from my research of its 1960s set design when my high school did “Plaza Suite”. The idea of working for film and TV is very intriguing to me, and I think it’s so cool that she ended up designing a lot of “real- world” clothing and consumer products based on her iconic Mad Men costumes. It’s interesting how much people are captured by and attracted to period clothing, especially when it’s presented in a nostalgic and desirable way.
I had a similar situation when I was growing up. My mother would always take me dress shopping and I would only wear tiny prom dresses to school. I also would only wear them in red. My grandma was a seamstress and so she taught me the basics of how to sew, and we would make clothes for me all the time. Originally we started off with quilts, because it’s easier to sew a quilt together than a piece of clothing. After I made my first quilt when I was 7 years old, I began working on making dresses. Since that point in my life, I have been making clothes and other sewing projects. I came to CMU with the intent of being a costume designer, but I have actually decided to declare scenic design instead. College is a place to learn and expand my learning, and so I want to learn from scratch how to design sets and take what I learn from that and apply it to costume design when I graduate. Hopefully my plan works out.
I will never forget the moment my first design teacher placed her hand on my shoulder, looked into my mother's eyes and said "This girl is a designer if I ever I saw one." To this day I still don't know exactly what she saw in me, or why she still believes in me so much, but I know that I don't know who I would have become without design. Having a background in fashion taught me above all else that the creation of clothing was an art form like any other, and that the reasons designers make what we make and wear what we wear are so interconnected in our view of the world. More so, reconstructive fashion taught me to be resourceful, and to make new the old. To me, as to Janet Bryant, costume design was the only logical next step. She describes each project she worked on when she first moved to LA as being a fashion show on its own, and I could not agree more in terms of the way that film and television designers create clothing pieces to convey tone and mood. More so, I think this speaks to a theatricality in fashion design which many modern designers seem to be losing sight of. The use of clothing to convey time and emotion in so essential to its creation and its purpose, and so much of today's fashion seems to have forgotten that need. Costume design, as a study of the reasons behind garments, already automatically conveys that purpose which fashion designers seem to have forgotten. If the fashion industry is to survive, it needs to take a page from Bryant's book and look at the present as an amalgam of the past, rather than designers trying to create something that looks new and better each season. The only way to make designs with purpose is to accept their origins, and this is something which Bryant seems to have understood from the beginning. I hope to be half the designer she is one day, and I can't wait to watch her next masterpiece blossom just as Mad Men has done. With a designer like her at work in both costuming and fashion, so much is possible.
Its funny how one passion and talent in life lead you onto a journey that turns into a career. I think everyone at the school of drama has a similar story. They found this passion at a young age and have been doing it ever since because you can't picture yourself doing anything else. It is apparent she loves what she does because of how much she strives to know more, and her research and time is reflected in their work. I made my first set design out of legos as a gift to my mom for her opening night at her new directing job. Since then I've made many models and have improved my skills to do this for a living. Having seen mad men I know she now has a great portfolio of work that showcases a long period piece and shows that she understands fashion over a decade. This I think is hard for many people whether you are dealing with clothes, a set or music. The characteristics that make these genres of art/style span over years and never turn white to black overnight. She made a great transition from 1960 to 1970s attire and further developed the mindset of the characters in the story. Fashion is part of our everyday lives and Jane Bryant is able to showcase that beautify.
I thought that the costumes for mad men were absolutely wonderful and it makes me really happy to know that this same designer was responsible for “Deadwood” because those were also very well done. What is more exciting about the “Mad Men” is the fact that this popular television show affected the fashion trends in the real world. This woman made a difference in American fashion, bringing back the sleek, but cute designs of the 50s. The success proves that she appealed to the more modern designs, but kept to the period as it says I the article. Brooks Brothers is such a high end brand, I think it is the coolest thing that this designer got to work with them for the collections. I don’t remember if she got an award for her work on Deadwood, but it the wardrobe was perfect for the world HBO was creating.
To me this seems like a very rare phenomenon. As far as the two worlds go they are very very very different. Fashion is all about creating for mass appeal and efficiency in the use of materials. Fashion is all about, at least these days, making the most money while using the least amount of materials. Costume design is about tailoring garments for a specific character and sometimes there is a lot of materials and expenses spent on one look. The cross over happened in this case because people find the silhouette of the 1950’s and 1960’s very flattering. Especially for women there is a rare combination of femininity and strength associated with that time period of clothing. I think that men also associate those suits with masculine power and women find that attractive. Considering how our society has advanced gender role wise, it still baffles me that we hark back to this area all the time, myself included.
Janie Bryant's life is a costume designer's dream. I loved reading this article because I completely understand the passion and willingness to move through the world of film, television, and fashion by telling a story through clothes. Costume design is an extremely personal art, especially in relation to characters on screen. I had a conversation with a couple friends the other day about costumes in television, and I expressed how much I loved the fact that, in television, you can basically create a character's entire wardrobe over a series of eleven to thirteen episodes. I've always imagined it as being able to open a character's closet and style what they were wearing for the day, which excites me to no end. And, in essence, that's what Bryant is doing with her Deadwood and Mad Men characters, though there's a degree of historical accuracy that must be given to each of the designs she produces. Reading about Bryant's journey makes me excited to see what happens when I and my classmates step outside of CMU.
I really admire Janie Bryant’s dedication to achieving her dream to become a costume designer. I have watched countless people have dreams to become something, and just didn’t have the drive to achieve it. I had a little of the same beginning she did, My grandmother taught me to sew when I was a child and I spent many holidays, with out knowing, making my own presents. Once I began sewing, I never stopped, and knew I wanted do somehow make it my living. It is always inspirational to hear of someone pursuing their dreams in this industry and it coming true. The success of the show ‘Mad Men’ had allowed her to bridge the gap between the entertainment and fashion world as she had always hoped for. From what I have seen she is a very detailed and talented costume designer, and while it sounds like she is moving more into the fashion world, I wish she’d continue to focus on costume design.
Despite painfully drab and underdeveloped prose, this article does feature some important observations, and notions akin to advice. Her tenacity and dogged pursuit of her niche within the larger costuming sphere is a critical aspect to her success. Her refusal to settle is a powerful example to new artists thinking about entering any similar field, especially - but not exclusively - in light of her immense and widespread success.
This article could have truly benefitted from greater extrapolation of specific aspects and details of Bryant's journey. The concept of a journey was vague at best, and the inevitable hard parts - actual grunt work, lack of recognition, the time commitment, the rejections - received fleeting attention at most. Finally, while I understand the appearance of brand names, especially in an article pertaining to someone so commercially linked as Janie Bryant, large amounts of the article seemed like exceptionally un-clever product placements. There is much to be learned from a career like Janie Bryant's, but this article was simply not revelatory.
The relationship between costume design and fashion is so interesting because the designer has the option to focus on the appearance or the story telling. A costume designer has to be able to look at a character from every angle in order to figure out how to properly dress them. I love the costumes on Mad Men, (it is arguably one of the best parts of the show) and I think the journey that Janie Byrant took is common one. I think fashion designers are always wanting to tell a story, so it makes sense that a lot of them would consider and be interested in costume design. I would love to work with a costume designer who came from the world of fashion, I would be very interested in how she assembles things for characters that I probably would have no idea how to dress. I can’t wait to learn more about the world of costume design and how I can interact with it.
I enjoyed reading this article a lot! One of the main reasons I watch Mad Men is the costumes in the show. The costumes in Mad Men is what immersed me into the world of the show. Not only do they fit the characters seamlessly and reflect their personalities, but they also are just visually stunning. I have an ample amount of experience working with film and it's a huge interest of mine, in fact I had a hard time deciding whether I wanted to pursue film or theatre. It was fascinating to read about how fashion, costumes and the big screen can cross paths and work together. I'm glad to see the flexibility that exists between and within the two fields, this article definitely opened my eyes in regards to the possibilities that are out there.
Mad Men was probably one of my favorite television shows that I have ever watched. A lot of this I credit to a combination of the acting and writing. However, I think that the design of the show definitely played a big role in that too. It is really hard to do a period piece today, and be so spot on as Mad Men was. The 50s/60s period is one of my favorite eras of fashion and Bryant definitely hit the nail on the head. To me, the key to clothing back then was simplicity. The clothes would highlight the figure while not being distracting at the same exact time. The suits that the men wear in Mad Men fit them perfectly and have the little details that are character specific. This also goes for the women’s clothes. With a show like this, it could have been really easy to just put them in generic period clothes, and I am really glad they did not.
Sometimes I hear stories like this one and think that will never happen to me. Is it just luck that after moving back from Europe her career took off?
However it did I am glad because in turn this article was written.
I love the idea of combining costumes and fashion. I agree that there is a fine line on which way your designs will fall but it's an exciting line to ride.
I think that in some regard we all enjoy costumes because it has to do with human interaction, and of course, clothes are pretty. But more on human interaction, clothes are so cool because as a costume designer you have many jobs.
You have a responsibility to the story and a responsibility to the character and actor.
Costumes like clothes have to represent what that character chose to wear in that moment, and through the character's choices must move the storyline along. It's a complicated idea, but I think that riding the line between costume and fashion allows you as the designer to step into that character's closet and pick out the clothes that are "obvious" to the moment.
On Mad Men specifically, I find the costumes to be glamorous and tasteful and a dream to watch move on the actors.
Having researched this designer previously, I knew Janie Bryant's journey into costume design was really a series of steps that she took as she went along, understanding more about herself and her dreams in the process. I find that very inspiring!
I always have believed that costume and fashion design are intertwined, as there is a very blurred line between what is a costume and what one considers fashion. I find it wonderful that Bryant is exploring opportunities outside the costume bubble so to speak to realize her dreams. Once again this article shows that the opportunities in the "real world" are truly unlimited, and can never be quantified or even predicted as they are often "of the moment"--you have to be in the right place at the right time, both physically and mentally. That's just part of the journey.
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