For this installment of Eco-Friendly Fridays, we’re bringing you the dapper swag of the queer owned and operated Cotton Bow Tie Company.
30-year-old Kirsten Coe (designer and style muse) and and 27-year-old Petra Deane (maker and web manager) are the creative visionaries behind these strapping bow-ties made from recycled fabrics.
Petra (left) and Kirsten (right)
I caught up with Petra to get more insight about what inspires their incredible designs.
dapperQ: Can you tell us a bit more about your bow-ties?
Petra: We started the Cotton Bow Tie Company because we felt that there was a place in the world for fresh, extra-fashion-forward ties that were well made, priced affordably, and designed with gorgeous queer ladies in mind. Kirsten comes up with the designs and I make all the pieces by hand at our small studio in Ithaca, NY. We use recycled fabrics, vintage yardage and cotton prints, and we release a brand new bow tie every day on our blog – dailybowtie.tumblr.com
Kirsten in canvas bright 1
dapperQ: What inspires your designs?
Petra: We’re into translating current trends from couture menswear and street style into bow tie styles, and we’re not afraid to be a little bold or unusual. In our mind, just because a bow tie is a traditional accessory doesn’t mean it has to be styled traditionally. We love to make edgy pieces. Our main inspirations right now are color blocks, utilitarian canvas fabrics, rich colour-soaked patterns and classic neutrals. When we’re designing each piece we’re imagining a sexy dapper lady rocking the look on a busy street corner, and we hope our designs inspire people in the same way!
Cotton Bow Tie Company bow tie sampler