Necktie Scarf – Qiana Dupont

A scarf made with vintage neckties, Qiana label. Wearable art.

$22.50

Description

This scarf was made by sewing two vintage neckties together, creating an artsy scarf. Both have the same silky feel and go nicely together. The yellow one has a label from Du Pont, “Qiana”. Check the photos for the image. It’s a fancy nylon.  The big round patches are also made from neck tie fabric, embroidered with floss. The big leather buttons were salvaged from an old coat. Both have a bit of scuffing, just a part of their journey…

I found an article on the label, Qiana:  “Du Pont introduced its synthetic fiber, Qiana (pronounced kee-AHH-nah) in 1968. The nylon material produced fabrics that combined the appearance of silk with drip-dry qualities.  According to the November 1969 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine, Qiana — for years before its debut, covertly called “Fiber Y” — was developed at a cost of $75 million.

“Chemists and scientists working on the project were forbidden to discuss it with outsiders or even other du Pont employees,” the magazine noted.

“Combining a sense of precaution with a flair for publicity, Du Pont introduced Qiana in 1968 by having models wearing garments made from the fabric closely watched by armed guards to prevent anyone from snipping off a sample.”

“Geoffrey Beene, Christian Dior and other leading designers titillated the fashion world in the late 1960s with elegant, silk-like costumes made from a synthetic material called Qiana. Qiana clothes were promoted heavily at better stores,” reported The News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware on October 23, 1983.”  See the full article here.

_______________

A friend of mine was moving and called all of us fiber artists over to snap up her stash of supplies. She had a barrel full of neckties and told us that whatever was left was going into the dumpster, so I grabbed a bunch.  Couldn’t have that happen!

I had a lot of fun making these bold accessories (I made several). I think of this as something similar you would see in some countries, where a textile is draped for effect, more than for function.

Free shipping in the United States. If you are somewhere else, contact me for an estimate.

Visit my website to learn more about me.

Questions and Answers

You are not logged in