I wanted to share the #bowtielove I received in today's Queens Chronicle!
Please support my Kickstarter campaign and help me launch NicholasTee.com - my online shop for bow ties, collections and more. Coming Fall 2012.
Only 49 days to go! {Every $1 helps}
For all you NYC folks, I will be DJing at the @GUMBONYC party tonight @deitynyc in Brooklyn. Join me for complimentary @BrooklynGin pomegranite cocktails (till 11pm) at the #1 gay dance party in NYC. Mention BowTieBoy at the door for only $5 all-night! Here's your invite!
My Opinion: I'm really feeling Michael Bastian and these professor-casual-yet-model-sexy bow ties. The velvet in #4 could easy transition from work day to dressed up dinner. Alexander McQueen presented spectacular formal bow ties which I am sure are much more impressive in person (I own much - the photos do NO justice).
My Opinion: Zegna's sharp edges make a bold statement to rock the night. I'm obsessed with how masculine, sleek, & sexy these look on three different outfits. Etro's craziness (feathers? yes!) could transform your mass market H&M suit into a complete unique look (assuming you have the shoes to pull it off). While I wouldn't promote neck feathers on a daily basis, I would highly suggest you sport them for a fun benefit or other memorable occasion.
My Opinion: Marlon Gobel presented quite an array of bow ties. Some (ahem #3-4) I really don't understand, but I am chalking that up to the photo. #4 also seems rather hard juxtaposed on a black shirt, but Gobel went for it and I respect that. There doesn't seem to be a coherent theme, but when your models are wearing chic gladiator gear, a theme may be hard to tame. Finally, Billy Reid presented one bow tie, and I am completely enamored with this diamond-cut beauty. Understated, well-proportioned, and beautiful knot. Touché boys. All photos compliments of GQ.
Last note: I want to send a major thank you to MoMA The Museum of Modern Art for profiling me and my bow ties in their Inside/Out blog. Check out the article here, like/share it on Facebook here, and retweet it on Twitter here.
Meet Jeffrey Armando Vasquez, a math teacher in Bushwick, Brooklyn who is celebrating his 1,000th consecutive day of teaching this month. As if that weren't a triumph in its own, Jeffrey has set a new challenge for himself - and plans on teaching for another 1,000 days (with no vacation or sick days) to raise money for the Achievement First schools. To spice it up, he will be wearing a different bow tie, every day, for those 1,000 days. Yup, that's 2 years and 269 days (leap year accounted for) of bow ties. Good luck, Jeffrey!
And 3,000 miles away in Califormia, Aaron Cocjin has been on a quest to find happiness after a difficult break-up. He found comfort in the one thing that always brought a smile to his face since elementary school - wearing a bow tie. This March, Aaron will complete his adventure of having worn a bow tie every day, for the past 500 days. So the big questions is, did it work?
It's only fitting to recap my year of bow ties while on my commute to MoMA this morning. Forest Hills is a mixed bag of cultures with rich history and forgotten treasures. The Beatles have played here. The US Open was originally hosted here. Tudor architecture and manicured lawns create an oasis of extravagance in a suburban setting just minutes from Manhattan. I love #FoHi.
The marvelous curatorial departments at The Museum of Modern Art made the creative process somewhat easy. Their immaculate attention to detail and non-biased ability to display the art allowed me to construct 11 individual pieces that reflect my personality and their hard work. The bow ties inspired by MoMA benefits, which my department tirelessly plans and executes, gave me creative license to explore and design while being constantly inspired by the Museum around me.
Yes, there are many incredible perks working in an institution filled with billions of dollars of superb design and fascinating art. I only hope that one day, through trial and error, extreme thought, reflection, and determination, I too can produce something the world would want to see.
Thank you for your unwavering support and criticism. Onward and upward in 2012!
Please take my poll below and tell me which bow tie from my first Bow Tie Collection you like best.
'Tis the season for black tie events, which in most cases means suiting up like a penguin and looking about as fashion forward as a butler. Don't fret! Adding a bow tie to your black tie attire is the perfect way to add a bit of pop and pizzazz. Whether it's a wedding, work holiday party, charity benefit, or New Years Eve - below is a selection of dapper bow ties sure to fit any special occasion. Which one will you be sporting at your next black tie soiree?
I know you're all frantically Cyber Monday-ing right now, but take a breather to enjoy the ad below for Marian Martin's Pattern Book from the Spartanberg Herald-Journal newspaper dated December 4, 1940. Only a quarter for the entire book?! Those were the days...
It's always heart-warming to reminisce on #bowtielove from the past, and Marian Martin's (pictured) choice vocabulary for "these gay accessories for men and boys" is exceptional! With the holidays upon us, this lovely lady deserves the honor of today's #BowTieMondaypost.
On Saturday, Justin Timberlake made one marine's dream come true by being her date to the annual Basic School Instructor Battalion 236th Marine Corps Birthday Ball(whoa! a mouthful) in Richmond, Virginia.
Corporal Kelsey De Santis, a 23 year-old champion mixed martial artist and 'singer/actress,' extended the invite via YouTube back in July. Timberlake accepted a few days later at the press conference for his film, "Friends With Benefits."
JT sported a black tux, blue bow tie, and some facial hair to the event. "It turned out to be one of the most moving evenings I've ever had," he wrote on his website.
SPECIAL SURPRISE: Bow Ties #9 + #10 are unveiled this week!
Hiyo! This week’s #BowTieMonday gets hot n’ sweaty as we run along with the NYC Marathoners for not one, but two bow tie appearances! Mr. & Mrs. Raymond and Mary Donaldson tied the knot while gasping for air during the 26.2 mile run - making all the [ex] Bravo NYC Housewives jealous that their own gasps for attention over the weekend went unnoticed. Both Raymond and his minister sported bow ties during the marathon and it made me think, “What if bow ties became the next athletic must have?” Don’t hold your breath marketing mavericks! My campaigns below:
Hugs to all my New England fans that had to cover up their guises this weekend as God pounded the area with innocent, fluffy white snow. I stayed inside plotting my next three bow ties that are due within one week of each other!
• And one major Benefit: The Film Benefit 2011 honoring Pedro Almodóvar
I did not miss the dress up (or dress down) this year, as my favorite part of the holiday is not the people nor the libations. Nope, my fondest love comes from the costumes we mandate our pets to wear – and what is better than forcefully tieing/clipping/adhereing some gorgeous neck candy to your favorite woofer, or, uh... cat. Do people still have cats? They seem so 90’s.
So precious...or something. Mark your calendars - bow tie #8 on November 8!
Welcome back to #BowTieMonday on the newly re-designed MadeInForestHills.com. Today I delve into the archives to bring you an article of historical significance pertaining to our dear pal, the bow tie.
Date: Sunday, January 6, 1963. Scene: the people of Missouri are waking up after a night of tragedy. In New York City, both Camelot and Carnival! close after 873 and 719 performances, respectively. San Diego annihilates Boston 51-10 in the AFL championship game. American baseball sweetheart, Roger Hornsby, passes from heart conditions at 66. Men and women are opening their Sunday morning papers thirsty for any drop of comedic relief or uplifting report. However, the headlines Few Congressman Are Bow Tie Fans as well as Chin Whiskers, Bow Tie On Wane in Congress blind like a solar eclipse party sans cheap cardboard glasses.
A double KO, hairless faces, and vertical neckwear had invaded and won the America we once loved. The pocket directory for the 88th Congress revealed a single bow tie was worn during Congressional picture day, and the man sporting it was a cartoon. And a Republican. Woof!
It's safe to say bow ties are beginning a steady march back into the spotlight. Props to the St. Joseph Gazette and Jefferson City’s News and Tribune - these articles are a fun read.
[top left to right: Pee-wee Herman, Winston Churchill, Cat in the Hat, Liberace, Orville Redenbacher, Indiana Jones, Rihanna, Sean Connery as James Bond, Groucho Marx, Karl Lagerfeld, Playboy Bunnies, Boo-Boo Bear]
[image: Wall Street Journal]Anheuser-Busch InBev has just unveiled the new logo for the Budweiser can. The design has seen only 12 changes since the brew began pouring from cans in 1936, and this is the first alteration in a decade. The centerpiece logo is now the dark red Bud "bowtie," which runs from top to bottom of the can.
Neck Specs is a fun and inventive twist on the class bow tie. These eye-catching neck pieces are shaped like popular styles of specs and fasten with an adjustable elastic band. Neck Specs are crafted by NYC based designers Sherwood Forlee and Mihoko Ouchi who admit that their short attention spans account for the "scatterbrained selection of goods" on their site, "The."
Check out Time Out New York magazine's photo slideshow of their 50 favorite ties and bow ties -- like this zany white silk crossword puzzle bow tie from WildTies and a Bonobos plaid selection that's more Gatsbyesque.
I'm Nicholas Ruiz and I ❤ Bow Ties. I live in Forest Hills, Queens and create custom designed and handmade Bow Ties out of reclaimed and recycled materials.
THE ORIGINALS is a project I began in February 2011. It will end in December with the fashioning of 11 unique Bow Ties inspired from the 2011 Exhibitions and Events I work at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). From guitar picks for the Picasso: Guitars 1912-1914 exhibition opening to Legos for the Armory Show 2011 benefit - and more! A year of Bow Tie art and appreciation.
I will also be crafting THE SIGNATURES, a selection of special Bow Ties for purchase made from fun and found materials.
Follow my project and adventures. Send me tips and ideas.
