Hi! I'm Dina and I run Lewes Bow Ties.
Slipping a vintage handkerchief into the pocket of my men’s jacket, I glanced in the mirror to put on my matching bow tie… It was the height of the 1980s, and I was embracing the New Romantic trend, collecting men’s accessories to complete my look. At the time, it was all about loving the latest looks — I never imagined for a moment that my fashion choices would one day inspire a business!
I was born to an artist family and have always been creative, although I mostly been running big hotels and sales & marketing departments, working with investment banks and software companies until 2007 when my husband Michael and I got married in Lewes. It seemed like the perfect time to start my own company.
I began designing embroidered jackets and bags and determined to make a go of it, I borrowed some money from family and friends to set myself up in a studio. To my surprise my creations were noticed by the Victoria & Albert Museum shop and a big order of 80 jackets and 60 bags was placed! What a booster!
I have always loved textiles and collected some beautiful fabrics over time, including unusual vintage prints, Uzbek ikats and Japanese hand painted silks. So I wondered what I could do with them? One day I had an idea. I recalled photos from years ago of my friends and I dressed up to the nines in our 1980s outfits — complete with bow ties! I look at the market of bow ties and everything I found seem to be so dull and boring that I wondered if I can create some bow ties from my vintage collection. In December 2012 I made 15 quirky bow ties out of different fabrics, and took them along to a Christmas market. They sold out so quickly that I realised I was on to something. Soon after I have opened a shop on Etsy and was delighted when I started making sales. I’ve entered a British Library competition to design a product celebrating the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland. I was thrilled when the handmade bow tie I made, featuring a drawing of the author, won first place, following the order for the shop at the British Library.
Since then I have opened a shop in Lewes and had it running for many years until the pandemic hit. I'm proud Lewes Bow Ties has been providing beautiful bow ties to industry and private customers worldwide. I’m now working in my studio and sell online, so I can focus more on creating something unique!
