My Style Icon: Janie Bryant
When was your defining style moment? The time in which you came into your style? The moment where “what everyone else is wearing” no longer concerned you?
Was it a grade-school photo day? After going to a concert and feeling some type of way?
I’ve always been a fashionista but for me, my style adventure started when I discovered Janie Bryant.
Janie Bryant
Costume Designer
Janie Bryant is the costume designer that created iconic mid-century looks on the hit television show, Mad Men. Her painstakingly intricate and era-specific styling not only enhanced the prowess of the show but started a full-on fashion revival. Michael Kors was one of the first designers to debut a Mad Men-inspired collection. Janie would go on to collaborate with contemporary fashion brand, Banana Republic to launch a Mad Men clothing collection and write an extensive coffee-table book depicting her process for costume design and how anyone can channel their leading character -- inspired by Mad Men or not. I learned from Janie that just like anyone else, I can be the leading lady of my own life and that transforming into the person that I know that I am on the inside is possible.
Sometimes, we just need a little push in our lives to get where we need to go and Janie’s book, The Fashion File, has been with me since I first purchased it in 2010. Armed with Janie’s book I found myself applying and graduating from fashion design school. It is one of the handful of books that I brought with me from my home country, Canada. Janie emphasizes personal style above trends as they always feel timeless. When you read Janie’s book, look at her style or even take a peek at her client’s stylings, you don’t feel that anything looks dated even if it is a period piece.
“Knowing your ‘character’ is the key to cultivating your style. Who do you want to be today? With the right clothes, you can be whomever you want to be. And you can change your ‘character’ from day to day, depending on your needs and whims”
(Janie Bryant).
I have been following Janie on Instagram since the early days of the app’s inception, while she sashayed about in her fitting room and new characters were introduced on the show, I was always looking to see what Janie would do next. Especially when the character Megan Draper, played by actress Jessica Paré, became more prominent as the seasons of Mad Men continued to evolve. Though I appreciated all of the show’s earlier costumes, Janie’s work with Megan spoke for itself. Perhaps it was the youthful and playful colors and patterns of Megan’s sartorial looks, or the way her character’s emotions revealed themselves with every costume change, Janie knew how to translate the layers of Megan and her storyline. Janie was so skillful with Megan’s wardrobe that her costumes provide a literal “breath of fresh air” reprieve from the rest of the characters and elements of the show. Janie talks about her creative process behind each look on her Instagram and even started a separate account for her costuming. I also follow her costuming account on Instagram. It’s been some time since Mad Men’s finale but Janie has managed to stay relevant and fresh through her professional and personal life.
Here’s my Megan Draper moment…
Fashion design and costume design are rooted in the same elements, while there will be people who find an exception to this, the rudimentary idea is dressing someone for a specific theme. I know this because I studied fashion design. There is a story behind every collection as there is with costume design. However, many costume designers don’t receive nearly enough credit. In more recent days, Janie has become a champion of recognition of costume designers and the Costume Design Guild. She spoke candidly to Refinery 29 in an article exposing pay inequalities for costume designers. She points to where she believes the issues stem from and isn’t afraid to stand behind her words by being directly quoted AND keeping a link to this article posted on her Instagram accounts. Janie is inspiring because she is talented, driven, and isn’t afraid to use her platform to help others. She is willing to take risks for the greater good of her colleagues and help usher in more diversity in her industry. This speaks to her character as she knows that there is room for everyone to thrive and community is more important than competition. Lending herself to such a worthy cause shows that she is a true leader.
If you’re looking for some major style inspiration and a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a costume designer then follow Janie! I always take a look at her book and feeds before planning my (and client) outfits for inspiration. The timeless expression that her designs portray and the moods that they convey are unparalleled. She is one of the main reasons why I have kept designing and styling... Look out for my debut capsule collection!
Work Cited
Bryant, Janie, and Harel Corcoran, Monica in The Fashion File Advice, Tips, and Inspiration from the Costume Designer of MAD MEN. Grand Central Publishing, 2010.