This morning, I will go back to the cutting table to begin with the next batch of one-off pieces for the website. Every time I start to cut silk it is somewhat ceremonial. I wouldn’t say quite the same as a Japanese ceramicist but there is the clearing of the cutting table, the selection of the silks we wish to play with, the choosing of patterns and changing of the blade.
In preparation, for example, yesterday I loaded my blades into a safety dispenser, cleaning the blades of the oils they are packed with and then using wd40 to lubricate them. I often cut my fingers during this process, so I like to be cautious when doing this.
The silks are to my mind - little works of textiles art. They have been woven with looms where over 16 years I’ve refined the process of making a design come to life. I would not say it was difficult work - making a silk come to life is a pleasure - and Iet the ideas come naturally rather than forcing myself to produce a given number of silks in a year. Nor are they seasonally inspired. They come only when the idea gestates in my head. For example - sometimes you may see our water dragon and hibiscus silk. I had a skateboard in later part of the 80’s - it was a Steve Caballero board by Powell Peralta. To this day the graphic art that was produced during this period was absolutely outstanding. It has inspired me on numerous designs. To my mind it was the zeitgeist of skate culture or at the very least its high-water mark.
And each of these pursuits when they are consumed by you, the future owners of our bow ties, bolsters my confidence in pursuing more of these.
Of course, the bulk of our business does not come from these endeavours though they take up the most of my time. In the end the simple black bow tie in a myriad of shapes is what drives the black-tie celebration and wedding market and our private label service for other businesses. What people say about our black bow ties and making grooms happy and seeing their wedding photos is very rewarding - but it’s our one-off pieces that bring the most satisfaction to be honest. Scarves and bow ties.
As the years go on, I find that our products are less relevant to the mainstream. Asking a millennial or a gen y to wear such things is like pulling teeth. Add to that the vast majority of them have no money and seek out travel experiences more than luxury. By contrast our customers tend to be self-employed or business owners and therefore more tied to work each day than the new kids on the block.
What will happen to us? At some point I probably to need to pivot. I listened to a pod cast the other day on the company Hermes, as I mentioned earlier, and I was surprised to find that their bulk of sales went from saddles to automobile luggage, then to silk scarves during the 40’s, then after Grace Kelly was featured in Time Magazine, the hand-bag which now dominates their international audience.
The trouble for us is I never wanted to venture past silk and the design of silk into neck ties and bow ties. It’s what drives me back to the cutting table more than any other product we offer.
We will shut the website after the sale concludes. Until then you have access to said one off pieces. For many of you I have noted your average order has decreased substantially and some of you have ceased to shop entirely. Let me say I understand. I heard a story the other day about an auditor of major Australian fashion brands who said that in all their auditing this year almost all are losing money, the best ones merely breaking even.
And so, if your business is suffering let me say this - I hope you survive, and I greatly appreciate all the work you gave me when times were good.
With love and respect,
Nicholas