30 March 2004

Celebrity ties

From Jon Snow to Chandler from Friends, men in high places are wearing ties designed by Jane Keith lecturer in printed textiles at the University of Dundee.

Jane recently spotted Chandler wearing one of her ties when she was relaxing at home watching the American sit-com.

Lenny Henry is another celebrity who wears her designs and David Dimbleby can be spotted on Question Time sporting Jane Keith’s ties which retail between £50 and £75.

Jane, who makes her fabric in her Fife studio and then sends her fabrics to a tie manufacturer is pleased with the success of her ties. "The vast majority of British males wear either something undemanding from the High Street, or, heaven forbid, something from the novelty tie department. I am pleased people like Jon Snow are demonstrating that a tie can be worth putting some effort into."

The designs themselves are drawn from mainly natural influences. The horizon lines, fields, fences, rocks, and the sea are some of the main recurring influences used to create simple patterns, stripes and seasonal colour schemes. All the ties are 100% silk and are coloured using mainly acid dyes. These are then overprinted and layered up using a variety of printing techniques giving each design group a distinctive feel.

Jane's designs can be viewed at www.janekeithdesigns.com

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk