The diced check tie has long been a favourite at Budd and has roots with the company that are almost as old as the shop itself. We have recently revived our collection of Vavassur diced checks, and have worked closely with historic silk house, Vanners, to create a collection that is both unique and gutsy. We have carefully created our own collection of colourways, drawing on the company’s vast archive for inspiration. The details, quality and colour palette of our diced checks come from records that predate the 1970s, ensuring that what we offer are unique and distinct qualities.
Archive logs have provided the weaving and quality specifications for our collection and allowed us to create a collection of ties with weight and handle of yesteryear; features that we are very proud of and that are no longer achieved (or bothered with) in the majority of silks woven today.
Vavasseur was the oldest and arguably best silk/tie producer in the UK. When they were taken over by Vanners, many of the designs were relegated to the basement archive. However, out of sight is not out of mind, and with fond memories of these great designs coming from our own Messrs Rowley and Butcher, Budd sought to revive them.
In a touching turn of events, reaching out to Vanners (whose own history dates back to 1740) and trawling through its archive, we stumbled upon a pattern book belonging to the late Mr Rowley Senior (Andy’s father), who was the last MD of Vavasseur. Naturally, nostalgia and serendipity could not be ignored, and with the help of Andrew himself and shop manager, Christopher Mundy, the new range of Diced and Micro checks was conceived.
Budd’s new collection sees the colours reworked so as to better fit into the wardrobes and tastes of today. The harsher blues and reds that worked so well several decades ago have been softened, and new colours added in. The input of our customers is always welcomed, and several of our designs and colourways have come from direct feedback, ensuring that we offer a solid and versatile collection.