When is a tie not just a tie? When it was made exclusively for the Walker Art Center. Earlier this month, haute necktie maker Pierrepont Hicks of Minneapolis debuted the Woody Classic, a silk stunner available only in the gift shop or online. With its burnished wood-grain pattern, the piece will jump off your chest (priced at $120, you'd expect no less. Designed by Kat McMillan here and then hand sewn in New York, the tie would have looked great around Justin Vernon's neck when he collected Bon Iver's Grammys. The tie comes in a nifty wood box for safe keeping (also good for gifting). Now if only it came in different varnishes. Buy it here.
More news from the Walker's Shop: While the store has always sold trinkets by Minnesota artists, it now features a section dedicated to local craft makers. Late last year, the Walker teamed with mnartists.org on the shop within the shop. Besides the curated selection, the mnartists.marketplace features a twice-annual juried call, which gives artists an opportunity to produce a limited edition piece sold exclusively at the Walker Shop. The first edition was a set of six pint glasses designed by various artists (see them here). The second edition of artist-designed objects is a collection of black and white drawings presented in the form of a snazzy coloring book.
