'Mad Men' goes mod
Tunes from the 1960s were pumping out from the speakers. Waitresses were circulating the floor serving hors d'oeuvres. The crowd lined up to order "Peggy’s Gimlet" and "Megan’s Madtini" cocktails, while others were examining the clothes.
Everything about this event screamed mod.
The three-story Banana Republic store at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica launched a limited edition "Mad Men" collection titled "Mad Mod," showcasing styles on mannequins on each floor.
Banana Republic’s designers teamed up with the Emmy Award-winning costume designer Janie Bryant for a third time to put together the mod line.
The collection, inspired by the costumes featured in the previous five seasons of the series, mirrors the late 1960s mod vibe with loud geometrical patterns and bold colors.
The women's clothes are modeled after the character Don Draper’s wife Megan, featuring pants, tops and dresses.
The menswear collection ranges from stripes, plaids and tailored uniforms suitable for a boardroom meeting, to more casual options such as tennis shirts and fedoras.
"I have been watching the show since it started, and I love the collection," said Erik Lindqvist, a customer. "These tennis shirts are perfect because I am golf player."
Shoppers passing by the store on Wilshire Boulevard and Third Street were drawn in to the store, even those who do not regularly follow the show.
"I really like the shorts and the dresses," said Michelle Bitencourt, a waitress hired for the event. "The colors are really nice, and I feel that the collection is right in terms of trends."
As "Let's Twist Again" by Chubby Checker started to play, two models entered the store and started dancing on the podium, located in the middle of the store.
As the hours passed, the store staff changed their clothes to show the customers how the clothes looked while twisting to the DJ's music.
One of the most bought items from the women's collection was a green jersey-knitted dress, made with nylon synthetic, a material commonly used in clothes during the time period.
Another frequently purchased dress was a red-orange printed long-sleeve dress with a geometrical pattern.
Sara de Souza, another customer at the event, has not seen "Mad Men" yet, and is not really as convinced about the collection.
"I like the whole idea of the '60s, but I don’t really see anything that I would like to buy," de Souza said. "Although, I have been wanting to see the show for some time, but haven’t really got to it yet."
Although she is not a fan of the collection, de Souza said she appreciated the event and thought it was a great opportunity to see what the store had to offer.
Besides capturing the color palette and patterns from the mod era, the collection also showcased fabric that was used to give the the items an authentic 1960s feeling.
The collection contains 32 pieces for women and 23 for men, priced from $30 to $140, in stores for a limited time. The clothes can be found in selected stores and on Banana Republic’s website.
The sixth season of AMC's "Mad Men" will kick off with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, April 7 at 9 p.m.