Fresh Fashion Friday: The Fashion File by Janie Bryant

The Fashion File by Janie Bryant with Monica Cocoran Harel. Foreward by January Jones. Photo by Dustin Enrique Larsen

Television has always had a profound impact on the world of fashion. The television series Mad Men has become a pivotal influence on how the world decides to dress. The woman behind the wardrobe is Emmy Award-Winning costume designer Janie Bryant. In her book, The Fashion File, she invites us into that world as well as her own and shares the insight that has brought her enormous success.

Photo taken from AMC.com

The book promises to provide “advice, tips and inspiration.” This includes easy to incorporate practices such as obtaining proper measurements, dressing for all occasions, and creating a wardrobe that will stand the test of time; just to name a few. Bryant more than delivers on these promises.

The tips and advice that she features display a vast knowledge of both fashion and its history, which is relatable to fashion enthusiasts and non-fashion enthusiasts alike. Any individual from all walks of life who reads this book will easily be able to incorporate its pages into their own unique lifestyles. Her personal and professional stories are seamlessly weaved throughout the book as well.

Photo taken from AMC.com

Gorgeous original illustrations by Bryant and photographs of fashion necessities from her own personal collections fill each chapter, which help aid her as she provides the reader a deeper understanding of how one’s wardrobe influences character development on the show. She then provides tips on how this understanding can be related to real life.

Photo taken from AMC.com

Although the book’s focus is mainly on the female reader, there is a pleasant surprise for the men in the chapter titled “The Don Draper Makeover.” Male readers are gifted with the know-how as far as tying a tie, bow tie and ascot; finding a suit that looks both professional and fashionable as well as being the proper fit; and a list of the Top 10 items that MUST be in a man’s closet.

I have read many “how to” and advice books written by fashion industry professionals and I can say without a doubt that The Fashion File is at the top of my list for must haves. Owning it as part of your library is not only a significant investment, but a necessity.

About the Author: 

Photo taken from AMC.com

Emmy-winning costume designer Janie Bryant creates all of the looks seen on TV's Mad Men. She has worked on numerous films and TV shows. In 2005, she won an Emmy for her period costumes on HBO's Deadwood and she took home the prestigious Outstanding Costume Design award from the Costume Designers Guild in both 2009 and 2010. 

"To Dustin, a Don Draper in great style!"-Janie Bryant

You Better Work!

 While working at Bagir International there were multiple opportunities for me to propose, develop, implement and evaluate major projects within my work environment. I was able to do so using my apparel, merchandising and textiles expertise. The following are the projects that I accomplished during my time in New York City and my input and accomplishments for each project:

Celebrate Manhattan Chic VIP Event

Designer Macy's Matthew Ossenfort, Six time Stanley Cup Winner Glen Anderson, VP Marketing Bagir International Tim Danser, Designer Jay Godfrey, Sr. Account Manager Bagir International Tina Birica

Goal: Host a world-class reception at the Atelier Sky Lounge in New York City to promote designers Simon Carter, Jay Godfrey, and Bagir International as a global brand.

Tasks:

·      Worked with every department of the company to help put event together.

·      Designed graphics for Step and Repeat that was used for photo opportunities at event.

·      Helped design invitation for the event.

·      Sourced a Gelato catering company to come and serve at the event.

·      Prepared all necessary items to be shipped to location prior to event.

·      Helped set up and break down event.

·      Prepared nametags for Bagir employees to help with networking at event.

·      Served as one of the hosts for the event, escorting people from the ground floor up to the sky lounge, making sure that all guests were enjoying themselves and all necessary tasks were being accomplished.

Accomplishments:

·      Over 175 guests were in attendance.

·      Positive press exposure and featured on PRWeb and MR Magazine’s website.

·      Multiple new business connections and possibilities were created.

Male Super Model Zenel (Center Left) and models dressed in Jay Godfrey, Simon Carter London and Simon Carter West End

To learn more about the success of the events and see more photos, please visit the links below: 

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/07/prweb4286104.htm

 

http://www.mrketplace.com/schmoozing/index.cgi?&insidealbum=True&reference_albumtitle=348

  

http://geminijono.wordpress.com/ 

MRketNY

Goal: Prepare, construct, and work at the Simon Carter Booth at MRketNY in New York City, the largest Menswear Market Expo in the United States.

Tasks:

·      Artfully and efficiently catalogued, set up/broke down, and merchandized booth at expo for a high level presentation that was critical for sale pitches at event.

·      Filled out order forms for customers.

·      Took those orders and then compiled them into an excel spreadsheet to be sent to UK offices to process and fulfill customers’ orders.

Accomplishments:

·      Gained many new clients and customers because of presentation of booth.

·      Created a more recognizable and prestigious image of the Simon Carter line in the United States.

Cintas Marketing Boards

Problem: Boards that were originally assembled and sent to client arrived damaged due to weakness in assembly process.

Goal: Develop a new process that would allow a safe shipment of boards without damage during travel or arrival to client.

Tasks:

·      Developed new process of assembly.

·      Manually combined over 800 pieces for boards.

·      Ensured that there were enough materials to fulfill task.

·      Affixed balls to over 160 posters.

·      Managed supplies for assembly by continually replenishing and monitoring them.

Accomplishments:

·      Successfully reassembled marketing posters and gained approval from and satisfaction of client.

Eco-Experience Presentation

Problem: Current packaging of uniforms was dull and reflected poorly on the market campaign for client.

Goal: Recommend a new packaging strategy to make the customer feel “empowered” that they were helping the environment by purchasing the item.

Tasks:

·      Created a presentation for new packaging strategy.

·      Provided own input into the overall concept for the new strategy.

·      Designed packaging and elements of packaging to be presented to client.

Accomplishments:

·      Bulk of my creative concepts were adopted and presented to client.

·      Received positive feedback from client, and concepts are now to be reviewed for implementation on company wide packaging program.

Laying My Yellow Brick Road...Brick By Brick

I began my endeavor of obtaining an internship six months prior to actually having a face-to-face meeting with any individual in the industry. Knowing that I wanted to get the most out of my experience, I defined my career goals so that I knew exactly what I wanted the internship to provide me. Those career goals ended up being broken up into two different categories, which are as follows:

 ·      Visual Merchandising:

o   Fashion Director

o   Creative Director

o   Stylist

·      Textile Product Development:

o   Forecast Analyst

o   Trend Specialist

The after extensive research of the above goals, I concluded that the skills needed in order to obtain a job in these areas are as follows. Be able to:

o   Keep the company updated on latest fashion trends.

o   Direct company/retail storewide visual merchandising in creating overall theme.

o   Create window displays and outfitting of mannequins according to these trends and themes.

o   Work closely with entrepreneurs or market researchers in developing products keyed to specific end uses.

o   Utilize high technology fabrics and processes in engineering products with special performance features.

o   Feed a constant stream of fabric, color, texture, pattern, and product style trends to designers, merchandisers, promoters, and advertisers across the textile and apparel industry.

After I had established exactly what skills I needed and wanted to obtain, I began to research what companies in the industry would best satisfy these needs. Apart from my career goals, I knew that obtaining an internship in New York City was a definite. With that in mind I knew that the University offered a Study Tour to New York City during Spring Break. I contacted the advisor over the trip and obtained a list of contacts and their information and began to narrow down the companies I wanted to contact and initiate a relationship with. After the process I had decided on two companies in which I would pursue: Kenneth Cole and Tommy Hilfiger.

Over the next six months I established and maintained a dialogue with the two companies. Doing this allowed for when a meeting in person took place we knew whom the other was and then only needed to put a name with a face.

Simply gaining contacts in New York I knew was not all I had to accomplish before my arrival in New York for the study tour. With strong encouragement and guidance from one of my professors I created a professional portfolio along with business cards and a pristine resume.

In New York I was able to obtain an in person analysis of the companies I found an interest in. A new company, Bagir international, caught my attention when we visited their office. They were one that I had never heard of before and I found what they did to be astounding so I added them to my list. During our visit I made sure to ask as many questions as I could in regards to their company so that way I could possibly add them as a candidate. Upon leaving their office I made sure to exchange business cards with both the President of the company and the Fashion Marketing Specialist.

By the time I had left New York at the end of the week I had accomplished obtaining three interviews with two different companies. Upon returning to Washington State, I hand wrote and sent off thank you cards of my own design to all the companies that had shared their time and that I had an interest in. Within the next two weeks I had two offers for internship: Bagir International and Tommy Hilfiger USA.

After being offered the internships, I sent each company the Internship Agreement Form pages to obtain the specifics that either internship would entail. When I had reviewed what each company was proposing, I made my decision on what company would best fit my career goals, interests, and the environment I would feel the most comfortable working in. The company that I chose was Bagir International.

Vogue Sweet Home

Vogue: noun. Something in fashion, as at a particular time.

The very word has many connotations that flash about in ones mind when it is uttered aloud. Madonna. Dance. The Bible of Style at its epitome. To some, it is almost God’s name itself, and should only be uttered with a sense of reverence. I have to clarify that the latter attitude is not the extreme to which I go when I hear the word, but I will admit that the hearing of the word does set my neurotransmitters into over drive. Everything about the word exudes elegance, style and grace. It rolls off your tongue and gently slips through your lips, granting you a newfound sophistication that adds a little air to your step, as if your feet are encased in the sandals of the Greek God Hermes. And to all you fashionistas out there, what better a brand than Hermès to have your feet encased by?

Why this elaborate introduction about the word Vogue you may be asking yourself?  Well believe it or not, the very building I will be residing in is named just that. And it lives up to its name in every sense of the word. As I exited the taxi, (which looked more like a town car, so I’m going to pretend that was what it was because how New York is arriving to your place of residence in that manner?), I was met by two massive golden pillars and a revolving golden door.  I bypassed the revolving door and entered through the side door due to the fact that I was lugging around two gigantic suitcases that contained all that I would (let me rephrase that, all that I COULD stuff into two gigantic suitcases) for the three months that I would be an inhabitant of this city. After I checked in, I entered into the elevator, which were how I imagine the gates to Heaven would probably be like because they were a shimmering gold as well.

As I arrived at my floor and opened the door for the first time, I was amazed at the size of it. Spanning out in front of me was a massive living room connected to a dining room and a kitchen, all of which had beautiful hardwood floors. Two large couches were snug up against the wall forming an “L” and a large tree nestled behind them. Just past the living room was a sliding glass door that opened out onto a private balcony that overlooked the streets below. I had an instant feeling that I was at home.

Two of my roommates had already arrived in the previous weeks, and they introduced themselves to me as they showed me around and pointed out what bunk and closet space was mine. I could not believe just how much space each of us really got and was pleased that my suitcases full of my life’s most precious possessions (my clothes of course) could be emptied out with each item finding its own special place.

After I was unpacked and had made myself at home, one of my roommates asked if I had been on the roof. “What roof?” was the thought that went through my head, “We have a roof?” My roommate and I immediately hopped in the elevator and rode it to the very top of our building. Stepping outside I was met with an amazing view. The entire roof was a sort of rooftop garden, with benches and trees, and was paved with cement tiles. It looked like the perfect place to have a late night soirée like those you see in the movies or an episode of The City.  

When I turned the corner I half expected to see Whitney sitting there, with a glass of white wine talking up her latest designs with Joe Zee from Elle. I did not see Whitney or Joe, but the sight that came upon me truly took my breath away. There, standing in front of me, almost larger than life itself ,was THE Empire State Building. It felt so close that if I had jumped off of our building, I felt like I would touch down on one of its landings. “Only in New York…” was the only thought that could come to my head.

Introduction

“Fight, fight, fight for Washington State! Win the victory!

Win the day for Crimson and Gray! Best in the West, we know you'll all do your best, so
On, on, on, on! Fight on to the end! Honor and Glory you must win! So
Fight, fight, fight for Washington State and victory!

W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N-S-T-A-T-E-C-O-U-G-S! GO COUGS!!”*

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE WSU FIGHT SONG

For years these lyrics have echoed through out the streets of the small town of Pullman, WA. Whether it be roaring from a crowded stadium or slurred through murmurings of a group of “brahs” walking up and down B Street (in which the words are so elegantly changed to: “Fight, fiiiiIIiight, fight foooorrr Waash-iiiing-ton STATE! la la la…  *face to pavement*) this song is the heart song of this small lentil community.

From a very young age I could ramble off the fight song as easily as I could the ABC’s. This is because I have called Pullman home since 1991. That was a time when Honor’s Hall was called White Hall, and “Munchyz” was just something you had after waking up from afternoon nap.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Pullman and it was a wonderful place to grow up, but the WSU Fight Song was never truly the song that radiated within my heart. A much different tune resided there, one that started as a hushed lullaby, and as I grew in age, it did in dynamic.

“Start spreadin' the news, I'm leaving today
I want to be a part of it: New York, New York…

…If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere,
Come on come through, NEW YORK, NEW YORK!”**

For full lyrics for "New York, New York," CLICK HERE
CLICK VIDEO BELOW FOR VERSION PERFORMED BY FRANK SINATRA

And so become “apart of it” is what I chose to do, and I set off for the “city that never sleeps” on June 4^th 2010, taking the red eye from Spokane, WA to Portland, OR, and finally arriving in the Big Apple June 5^th 2010. Ol’ Blue Eyes himself once belted “I’m gonna make a brand new start of it” and that’s what I intend to do with my time here this summer, “make a brand new start of it in old New York…”

This blog is intended to document my experiences in New York City, as well as provide my insights and perspectives on the things that I learn while I am here.

Enjoy!

*Words for the WSU Fight Song were written by Zella Melcher and music was composed by Phyllis Sayles in 1919.

** Lyrics are from the song "New York, New York" which was the theme song for the movie by the same name directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro. Words were written by Fred Ebb and music was composed by John Kander. The song was originally performed for the movie by Liza Minnelli, who also starred in the film, and was later covered by Frank Sinatra.

 CLICK VIDEO BELOW FOR VERSION PERFORMED BY LIZA MINNELLI