The first tie that I have ever owned was one that was lying in a pile of clothes that belonged to my late father. It is a custom in the Sotho culture to gather and layout the clothing of the deceased. The family members gather and get the opportunity to select items that they like. Being directly related to my father and being the only son that he has, I was the first to be given the opportunity to select items that I would like to keep. Amongst the items was a collection of ties. At that time I had never worn a tie out of my own will nor had I owned one but some how I happened to be attracted to the red cotton tie that had a pin stripe pattern.
Due to this particular experience in my teenage years I have chosen to make a virtual collection of the tie. The reason for this collection is to encourage wearers to desire a change in the current ties that exist. As wearers we should also ask ourselves whether this object can be used for other purposes than it just being a mere add-on to our outfits. By looking at different concepts of the tie and the current times, I wish to conjure a desire to see a change in the design of the tie to those who have worn the item before.
For me personally It has become very relevant to me at this point in my life, mainly because of the fact that I have reached a stage where I am embracing the feeling of being comfortable in formal attire. Being exposed to the work environment in my last year of varsity, I have found myself surrounded by individuals (mainly men) who have grown familiar with the idea of wearing a suit and tie as an everyday ordinary thing. It becomes a very interesting and intriguing idea because it almost feels like some sort of transition into manly hood. The most interesting thing about it is my acceptance to the transition, especially being a creative as we are stereotypically identified as being eccentric. The tie is also a form of self expression to individuals who have no interest in the creative field. It is about time we see how much further it can go in terms of its creative expression. It has become my first choice because its one object out of the few that can be used to bring that creative aspect to the corporate minded person and his/her world.
Challenges to be faced with selecting the object is that it could be quite difficult to create a interesting virtual collection. I am afraid that some of the topics that arise from the object may be repetitive because in the eyes of many a tie does not really serve of any other purpose apart from being a clothing accessory. The past traits and present traits of a tie have not significantly altered, this could mean that there might not be much to connect between the past and the present. The story behind the tie might not be as impacting or compelling as other topics such as diamonds or chocolate.
Some might argue and say that because of its different colours and designs it may not fall under the corporate umbrella. However the majority of people who wear it find themselves in boardrooms and company offices. So one could argue that it is an object that is linked to the corporate world. Lets see how much something corporate can take the trait of being outrageous and creative. By seeing it take different uses and forms.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how we could create a hybrid tie that best represents the current time. Join me on this “virtual collection journey”, who knows we could stumble across an idea that could mark the history of the ties evolution. As a designer my desire is for the creative field to make a great impact on the corporate environment. Just because we do not deal with numbers it doesn’t mean that the highly remunerated Chartered Accounted should look down on the designer. Instead it is time they pay careful attention to the design of the ties they wear around their neck. Hopefully it will get to a point where they need to book consultations with designers to select suitable designs for up coming board meetings.
