She was named 2013 Style Awards TV Costume Designer of the Year and one of Business Insider’s 24 People Who Determine What’s Cool in America.
But what’s really cool about designer Janie Bryant is her relentless pursuit of excellence in thoroughly researched designs that are trendy, tasteful and timeless.
The Emmy award-winning costume designer from AMC’s “Mad Men” has not only created signature looks for the entire cast, her designs have changed the world in which we live.
Having received national and international praise for her taste in fashion, Bryant is influencing contemporary styles in both men and women’s apparel. In fact, men in particular appear to be dressing better since “Mad Men” first aired in 2007.
Not only has she caught the attention of many in the fashion industry who created runway collections inspired by the show, but the look of the show has inspired couture designers like Vera Wang, Michael Kors and Prada, leading to partnerships with Banana Republic, Maidenform and Brooks Brothers.
Her talent has also led to a refreshingly different fashion competition reality show, which is in development and is tentatively called “Janie Bryant’s Hollywood.” The show is based on recognizing the work of costume designers of film and TV and creating collections inspired by those movies and television shows for the modern consumer. Think “Project Runway” meets Syfy’s makeup artist competition “Face Off,” but in a Hollywood-inspired fashion designer competition.
Each week eight to 10 contestants will be asked to create a piece based on a classic Hollywood style, era or iconic Hollywood star like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly, with Bryant and her fellow judges selecting the best of the best.
Bryant, who teamed up with NBC’s “Fashion Star,” producers James Deutch and E.J. Johnston to develop the concept, told Entertainment Weekly, “I wanted to do a show that combines my passions of film, costume design and fashion design. As the costume designer of Mad Men — and of Deadwood before that — I have had this experience with my work that fashion designers have been influenced by my work, which has been a great honor. I started my career as a fashion designer, so it’s been an interesting journey to have my career come back to fashion design.”
Deutch told EW, “It’s a fashion show for people who love movies and TV. We want it to be broader than just fashion. It’s about Hollywood and why people love great costumes and costume design, [so Janie] was the first person who came to mind.”
“They will be given challenges that tie into famous Hollywood films or celebrity style. If you can envision Steve McQueen in “The Thomas Crowne Affair,” it’s an iconic Hollywood fashion moment, so contestants will be given inspirations like that and they’ll have to design a look that’s a contemporary interpretation of this classic Hollywood fashion moment,” he explained. “The idea is to tap into those memories people have of their favorite films and their favorite stars.”
Bryant said another aim of the show is to teach viewers the difference between fashion stylists and costume designers.
“Costume design is about creating a character through costume and telling a story about that character on film, television or in theatre,” she said. “The intention and focus is not necessarily about fashion. The intensions and motivations are very different.”
“Janie Bryant’s Hollywood” includes another innovative appeal — a special retail tie-in so viewers can be the first in line to purchase what is created on the air. Since fashion has influenced film and TV, the public is eager to purchase what characters are wearing, according to Bryant, who adds, “Those worlds are moving closer together.”
Bryant, who designed and sewed her first dress at the age of 8, finished college and moved to Paris, then to New York, where she learned her craft from fashion phenom John Scher, said she is excited about her new reality competition show because it combines two of her greatest loves into one dream project, and is eager to get it sold and on the air.
From an early age, Bryant became obsessed with such classic films as “Gone with the Wind,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Ten Commandments” and “The Wizard of Oz.” She says much of her inspiration throughout her career has stemmed from this obsession with old films.
When asked about her all-time favorite film, Bryant, who hails from Cleveland (Tenn.), said, “My mother loved old movies and got us into the tradition of watching them at home and going to the theater. If I had to pick one, it would be ‘Gone with the Wind.’ That film teaches you all the lessons of life that you ever need to know.”
Bryant, in fact, recently did a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talk on the topic.
With a Hollywood-inspired fashion reality TV show in development, Bryant is hoping audiences will be fascinated with the costume designer competition that combines the glitz and glamour of Hollywood with the cutting-edge styles and designer pieces of tomorrow.
The influential costume designer is also introducing a line of legwear under her name — Janie Bryant Leg Couture which is targeting major department stores for fall 2015. Other collaborations are in the works for shape wear, men’s socks, shoes, and women’s dresses. Clearly, when it comes to fashion, there is no stopping Janie Bryant!
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Cleveland Daily Banner - Janie Bryant s designs on Hollywood The genius behind Mad Men costumes has much more up her sleeve for 2015 This article was written by my friend William Wright for Cleveland Daily Banner: We wish Janie all the best!
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