Alexander Olchs has been creating buzz around his handmade neckties since not long after he made his first pieces on a whim as presents for his film-school buddies at Harvard. Since then, Bergdorf’s, Opening Ceremony and even United Arrows in Tokyo have started stocking his uniquely dapper designs, and well-dressed men everywhere have taken notice.  Want to learn more about this new necktie sensation?  continue reading after the break…

The strength of Olch’s ties is in his modern approach to width and pattern, his dedication to old-world craftsmanship, and his willingness to experiment with a myriad of fabrics.  The patterns are classic with a touch of grad-student ingenuity– including plaid check, repp, houndstooth, and a pretty snazzy seersucker.  Fabrics range from typically elegant silk to more laid back cotton, but Olch works real wonders with heavier canvases like superfine English wool, Italian cashmere, and a surprisingly slick corduroy–all perfect for fall dress-up.

Olch said his earliest interest in ties came as a young grade-school student at a uniformed boys school.  All the kids tended to dress-down as a reaction to the stuffiness, so Olch’s way of standing out was to dress up, with as many ties as he could find.  It’s a good metaphor for what makes his ties stand out in the age of business casual. In the war on sartorial sloth, Olch’s are the ties of rebels.