Handpainted silk bow ties were my staple until Rupert Lycett Green at Blades made me a long tie pattern, and then a waistcoat to make.  A retired octogenarian tailor called Rex Lawrence oiled up his sewing machine for the first of his 3500 waistcoats that he made for me. I later discovered that he photographed [...]

So how did the silk bow tie business begin when I was trained as a fine painter? I was living in Paris in 1978, in a garret by the Jardin des Plantes with my wife Emma and my year old first born Jesse, now the famed patron of Notting Hill’s hugely popular Mall Tavern. Our [...]

For my eldest son’s big wedding last autumn I was asked to provide ties for the best man and his ushers.  So I scrabbled about in the attic until I found the dusty case carrying all the old stock.  After the big event three of the young blades asked to keep their ties which surprised [...]