Parisian Ties 1919-2019 is a pop-up exhibition curated by the New Zealand Fashion Museum, which opens this month at Fifth Avenue on Ponsonby Road.
Parisian Ties 1919-2019 is a pop-up exhibition curated by the New Zealand Fashion Museum, which opens this month at Fifth Avenue on Ponsonby Road.
As one of the few decorative elements in the working man’s wardrobe that allows for the expression of personality, the tie carries a lot of responsibility.
Using the story of local tie manufacturer, Parisian, the New Zealand Fashion Museum looks at what continues to make the tie tick. It documents the step-by-step process of the making of a tie with a dynamic video, and it explores the symbolism of the tie and how men use it to communicate their identity through what they wear.
With rising informality in dress codes, even in our work attire, it will come as no surprise that there is a renewed desire to ‘dress up’ and to participate in traditionally formal events such as weddings and dining out. For men, that often means wearing a suit and a tie.
The story of the New Zealand tie starts with Callil Abdallah who travelled from here to America in search of inspiration for a new venture. On a train, he struck up a conversation with a tie maker who explained to him how to make a necktie. Callil drew the tie pattern onto a napkin and tucked it into his pocket. Back home, his daughter Ruby, a seamstress, made the first tie from this pattern and in 1919 Callil established Parisian Neckwear, and the family has been making ties here ever since.
Up until this time all neckwear was imported, but the Parisian factory, established on Upper Lorne Street, changed that, growing rapidly so that after just two years in business there were 50 ‘girls’ employed at the factory. In 2019 Parisian is still a family business and is marking 100 years of design and manufacturing in New Zealand.
Although the factory moved from the city centre to make way for Mayoral Drive, they did not go far and today they make their ties in imposing premises that overlook Myers Park. Parisian is an example of a heritage New Zealand brand that has survived depression, war, deregulation and cheap imports and proudly continues to be locally mad.
The exhibition takes the form of a window display of ties dating from the 1920s to today. It is supported by a small catalogue that is available for purchase in-store, and by more detailed information and stories online at
www.nzfashionmuseum.org.nz/a-decorative-bias-parisian-ties-1919-2019
A Decorative Bias unpacks the subtleties of the messages and the sophistication of the manufacture of these few simple centimetres of bias-cut cloth.
Following successful showings around New Zealand from Auckland to Ashburton, the exhibition will have one final outing at Fifth Avenue Menswear, 216 Ponsonby Road from 2 December 2019.
www.nzfashionmuseum.org.nz www.fifthave.co.nz
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11/2019