When we featured Janie Bryant in the Americana issue for our “Conversations” column, there were so many wonderful pictures of her Mediterranean-style L.A. home that we didn’t have room to share much of her work. As the costume designer for the fantastically popular AMC series Mad Men, Janie has been responsible for some of the most admired wardrobes on television. We thought we’d remedy that omission here today with some shots from season six, which premieres on April 7. Janie’s ability to capture the evolution of the characters and reflect those personality changes in her designs has been interesting to watch over the course of the first seasons. These shots from the upcoming season feel like a little preview of what’s in store for viewers.
And if you’re curious about Janie’s work as a costume designer, be sure to read the full “Conversations” piece to hear about her career and an average work day behind the scenes creating these looks.
{Images from AMC}
This week we have the third and last installment of the Crafts Folk videos, which we’ve been featuring as a more in-depth look at the “Timeless Trades” article in Issue No. 10. Photographer Thayer Allyson Gowdy put together these glimpses into the workspaces of a blacksmith, a group of hat makers and now denim designer, Loren Cronk.
Loren’s work as a denim designer is not an accident. After running street wear and snowboarding gear businesses, he landed a job with Levi’s and starting learning about denim. His obsession took off from there. Loren spent years studying and perfecting the craft in his apartment in his spare time while continuing work as a consultant before launching his namesake boutique, Loren, which retails his three lines of denim. In this film, you can really sense Loren’s passion for the craft and his dedication to the handmade process of making his jeans.
{ Photograph by Kelly Ishikawa }
I first spotted the home of Megan and Matt Wishnow on A Cup of Jo—back when the couple was living in New York. I loved it so much, I had to reach out to Megan and ask about their current digs in Austin, which she and Matt share with twin daughters Iris and Greta. It turned out, the family (and their lovely home) was a perfect fit for Issue No. 9, our music-themed issue.
Matt founded Insound, an online indie music retailer. Megan operates a wonderful vintage shop, 13bees—named after a Helium song. With New Year’s Eve right around the corner, I’ve been regularly checking her inventory for just the right ensemble. I know we don’t talk a lot about fashion on this blog, but I couldn’t resist sharing some of my current favorites from Megan’s shop.
1950s black chiffon cocktail dress
1930s lace and crepe dress
1960s black velvet cape
Vintage fashions in 
Hat, jewelry, shoes, and handpainted wallcovering in 
