Photoshoot
LA BOWTIQUE Gustav Temple meets Mickael Korausch, founder and maker of La Bowtique bow ties, to discuss his day job on Savile Row, how he learned to make bespoke bow ties and whether you can wear a polka dot pocket square with Black Tie
Models: Mickael Korausch www.labowtique.com, Johan Ekelund www.sharpanddapper.com; Elom Gabriel www.elavanyo.com; Gerald Onourah www.collarbonelondon.com Photography: Ross Robertson @roo_withaview PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN IN THE CLUB ROOM AT HUNTSMAN, SAVILE ROW WWW.HUNTSMANSAVILEROW.COM
“Tying a bow tie is a skill every man should know, like changing a tyre on a car. Once you’ve learned how to do it, you never forget. Learning to make them takes a little bit longer! Ideally you should match the bow tie to the facing on the lapels of the dinner jacket”
How did you come to be one of the few bespoke bow tie makers in the country? I came to the UK when I was very young, and on a visit to Brighton saw a copy of The Chap in Snoopers Paradise. I really liked the aesthetic, so I looked into that classic British style more and started wearing vintage clothes. I also saw an advert for one of the Chap parties, the 10th anniversary one at Bloomsbury Ballroom, so I went there in my finest tweed suit and met lots of like-minded people, then more of them at The Chap Olympiad. I wanted a decent bow tie and had found it almost impossible to find one in France. Only Charvet in Paris had them and they were way too expensive. Even in London there was no single place you could buy a good bow tie, and certainly not a bespoke one. So I tried making my own, and at first it was a lot of trial and error, with no experience in sewing. Then my mother introduced me to a seamstress friend of hers in France, who taught me to sew properly and gave me advice on construction. Then my skills just developed from there.
Y
ou work at Huntsman of Savile Row. What’s your job there? I am front of house, guiding the clients through the whole bespoke process, from choosing the right cloth to choices in cut and style. I am the interface between the client and the cutter and tailor. It’s a very sociable job and I have made many friends among the customers.
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