The Tale In Our Ties
While our Turnbull & Asser portfolio boasts a wide array of ties catered to every customer and occasion, there are always a few that stand out from the crowd. Head of design Dean Gomilsek-Cole’s favourites lie in what he dubs ‘The Storytellers’.
Only about 20 or so in number, these are the statement pieces that visually translate the seasonal narrative and, as Mr Gomilsek-Cole admits, are the most fun to design.
‘Ever since I joined the brand I have been fascinated with the beautiful woven artistry that went into the tie silks so I wanted to continue that tradition. For decades we have worked with the same weavers and printers, but recently we have started to stretch their creativity in order to achieve some amazing results.’
Spring/summer ‘16’s Tea and Time Travel collection sees T&A’s signature eccentricity embraced to the strongest degree yet with the introduction of printed silk ties alongside woven designs.
Spring’s woven ties illustrate a wonderful world of bizarre fiction; find bowler hatted men riding tigers over Tower Bridge, floating to earth on kimono parachutes, or sailing down the Thames in a teacup – the type of characters that don’t really exist, but would certainly brighten up the morning commute if they did.
For Dean, inspiration stemmed from day-to-day curiosity. We can all admit to letting our eyes wander on the tube, reading someone’s newspaper, book or even emails.
Printed ties achieve vivid tones while maintaining a clean, matte finish and lighter weight than woven silks.
‘My eyes are always caught by details - an unusual lapel pin, an interesting watch or a well-shined brogue - but I have to admit I’m always drawn to a beautiful tie, and these are the types of pieces we want to create.’
If you haven’t seen our printed ties yet, let us introduce you. Although not as ornate as a woven tie, printed silks are a popular choice for modern gentlemen as they achieve vivid tones while maintaining a clean, matte finish and lighter weight. From a design perspective, they also have less scale and tone restrictions.
Like the woven creations, our printed pieces also tell a story. SS16’s creations reflect the narrative’s odyssey to Ghana, India and Japan with elephant, tiger and peacock illustrations, while the other dominating theme of transportation is referenced quirkily through motifs of carousel horses, hot air balloons and flying bicycles.
Also included within the range are two hand-drawn cityscapes, showing a condensed version of London and New York, in recognition of our original store in Jermyn Street and our flagship on East 57th & Madison.
