Working on Mad Men has been such an incredible journey for me over the past few years. I love being able to tell the different stories of each of these characters through their costumes. The time period of the early 1960s (American Camelot) is a time which I am very passionate about, and being able to interweave the lives of these ad men, secretaries, and housewives has been such an amazing experience. To begin each season an enormous amount of research is done! I love looking through old photos, magazines, catalogs, books, newspapers, and watching old films – a few favorites being The Apartment, The Days of Wine and Roses, La Dolce Vita, and Les Bonnes Femmes. I am inspired by the media that was relevant to this period and try to immerse myself in the lifestyle of each of these characters. Each one has his or her own color palette and set of inspiration boards. I try to envision each silhouette and what the character would do on a day-to-day basis, what they would read, what music they would listen to, or where they would shop. One thing I love about the costumes for Mad Men is that the clothing is still very accessible and relevant today. The period is glamorous, elegant, and all things feminine! You can read all about it in The Fashion File.

Synopsis: Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative AMC drama Mad Men follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell. The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the biggest ad man (and ladies man) in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Advertising Agency. As Don makes the plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. The series also depicts authentically the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960s traditional family values.

Mad Men on AMC

(Photos via AMC)