Bow To Fashion By Lisa Carapiet - Australian Financial Review

BOW TO FASHION - PUBLISHED: 13 SEP 2012 00:46:01 | UPDATED: 13 SEP 2012 08:25:49

http://afr.com/p/lifestyle/life_leisure/bow_to_fashion_u22VVf45G8nC5HtM5Rj2qM

Tying your own bow tie exudes an air of grace and masculinity. It’s like walking into a flexing competition having already won.

Just ask Nicholas Atgemis, founder of Australian bow tie manufacturer Le Noeud Papillon.

“A pre-tied bow tie is like a clammy handshake. It’s weak. It’s just like, ‘What’s wrong with you? Get yourself together’, ” he laughs.

The key to tying your bow tie is practice, but once you get the hang of it, Atgemis says it’s dead easy.

“Your arms can go numb if you don’t know what you’re doing,” he says. “Every bow tie ties differently so you need to know the spacing of the bow tie, how much to allow for the knot and how to tie different fabrics.”

In its packaging Le Noeud Papillon includes instructions on how to tie your own. And its online store has instructional videos.

“The idea is to make an effort and show the other person you can tie your own bow tie and you’re accustomed to a higher end of fashion,” Atgemis says.

Le Noued Papillon has been creating bow ties since 2009, using jacquard silk woven in Italy.

Atgemis uses the same silk mills that create ties for Charvet, Tom Ford, Gucci, Prada, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent.

Jacquard silk means the patterns are woven in, resulting in a more luxurious look and feel.

Architect Alarico Arenosto, the great-nephew of Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, designs the patterns along with Atgemis.

His fashion advice for the spring racing season is for a crisp navy suit with a fresh bow tie in a contrasting colour such as orange or red. “I know the first time I cracked [tying my own bow tie] it was a eureka moment. It opened up a whole new world of fashion for me,” he says.

Lisa Carapiet