mad about mad men

When Mad Men first aired in the UK, it was an obscure, not publicised non-entity that I was absolutely obsessed with, but no one was watching. Even my friends back in the States - they'd never heard of it.

Today - home with a cold ('this weather is the PITS', to quote my American friend Margaret, here in London) I'm trawling YouTube because I've already seen the latest episode (illegally downloaded, I might add: we can't get Sky, long story)and I want MORE. Most of what I'd like to share with you can't be embedded, like the 100 Greatest Quotes Season One, or a wonderful but obscure interview with Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss, and this, a particularly evocative clip, but I found a great little interview with 'Sally', Betty and Don's daughter, aka Kiernan Shipka:



It's like my childhood fantasies: I didn't want, particularly, to be famous. I just wanted to be the child of famous people, so I'd be interviewed on my deep thoughts. My parents were pretty glamorous in their own right, so it was easy to switch them to, say, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. I'd write the magazine interviews in my head: 'Samantha (or whatever my fantasy name was that week) was sitting in her hot pink and lime green bedroom, telling us her thoughts about blah blah blah.'
But I must say, Kieran holds her own with these condescending adults in a way I don't know if I could quite pull off.







These are my parents, and this is my family. And I couldn't have asked for a better one, or a happier childhood.

mad men

This man was smart, in both definitions of the word, especially about men's fashion. Everything he's wearing is Savile Row, mostly bespoke. There were two of us shooting him, trying to be considerate of each others' space, but the photographer's head got in only this shot (hence posting it: the others were just picture perfect). Our 'model' gave me his card but I can't recall his name. I think it was Don Draper.

Mad Men's on tonight, BBC4! 10:00 p.m. Counting the minutes.

UPDATE: Found his card, just as coincidentally my blog friend and Style Crusader, Jen, reminded me she shot him, too, and has his card. His name IS Don!! Donalrd McFarlane, and he's got a quite good guide to British menswear: greatbritishattire.co.uk.