Past Beautiful Booths:

May 2012: Kelly Durian, Durian & The Lyon

Kelly Durian in her booth

If you start to notice a resurgence of the bow tie around town, I can tell you who to thank for it, and if you want to participate in the trend, I can tell you exactly where to go to find the perfect tie for you. Kelly Durian is the bow tie enthusiast responsible for spiffing up the city, one elegant and/or whimsical neck at a time, and she sells them from a beautiful booth at Saturday Market.

Kelly's booth at Market, Durian & the Lyon, is always brimming with bow ties of all sizes and colors, both pre-tied and classic ready-to-tie. Floral, paisley, polka dots and plaids, bright colors and subdued pallettes, truly something for everyone. There are even bow tie enhanced bibs for babies!

These ties are not only fashion forward in look, but in their manufacture. Kelly uses mostly recycled materials she finds at MECCA, estate sales and thrift stores, although from time to time she gives in to a dreamy piece of off-the-bolt fabric. There are even recycled bike innertubes used as the neck bands of her special biking bow ties, complete with reflective stripes in the tie fabric. She tells me that what she really enjoys about tie making is playing with color and texture, mixing and matching. Her new and different combinations make these accessories that were once thought of as formal and uptight into playful expressions of individuality.

I love how Kelly uses old fashioned ironing boards for display tables and antique coke bottle racks to display the ties. The dashing (and also reclaimed) gents Pete and LeBron add a lot of character as colorful tie displays. She also has a basket of ties in progress with her, just in case she has a bit of spare time to do some hand work.

Are you thinking it's time to add a new tie to your wardrobe, but worrying that you've never, ever tied a bow tie before? Fear not, future fashionable reader, you can always choose a pre-tied model. If you're brave enough to go with the classic tie-it-yourself style, Kelly will gladly teach you how to do it right on the spot and send you home with printed instructions. Refresher courses are given gladly at any time as well. So if you want to be a part of setting the next trend, stop by Durian & the Lyon and find the tie that suits you best!

Kelly doesn't have a permanent spot at Market, but you can find her by asking at the Info Booth or keeping an eye out for Pete and LeBron as you wander. You can also find her on the web at durianandthelyon.com where there are links to her etsy shop and craft fair calendar.

tying a bow tie
Kelly gives a lesson in bow tie tying.