DRESS CODE
As the founder La Bowtique Bowties and author of Modern Black Tie: A Guide, Mickael Korausch may be the world’s foremost expert on black tie dressing and its most essential component, the bow tie. But the French-born, London-based entrepreneur found his calling as a matter of convenience: finding that he could not pay up for the only two bow ties of quality found during a trip to Paris, he resolved to take the matter into his own hands—quite literally. “I thought, if I can’t afford these bow ties, I’m just going to learn how to make them,” Korausch says.
With no background in design or experience with sewing, he began committing patterns to paper and hand-cut the resulting ties himself, a process of trial and (frequent) error that shaped his present-day success. “I was really lucky. The way I did it taught me how bow ties work, every single aspect of their design and make, just because of all the mistakes I’ve made,” he continues.
Today Korausch, who spent nearly a decade working for Savile Row tailors while running La Bowtique as a side-gig, commits fully to the project in an East London showroom that he shares with two assistants. He credits the quality of the bow ties that he and his team cut on-premise to three factors: their proprietary satin and grosgrain fabrics, woven and finished to his own specifications to best hold a knot; expertly designed proportions that assure each bow has the ideal width, height and curve; and an attention to craftmanship on par with his fellow bespoke practitioners on Savile Row.
And while fully bespoke bow ties remain a key part of the business, La Bowtique also has an impressive ready-to-wear range with dozens of different shapes and sizes, many of which are named for the men who requested or inspired them (see, for instance, the “Oversized Hranek”). “I don’t think there’s anyone who has as many shapes as I have, and every single shape has personality and works for a specific type of person,” Korausch says.
Lately, he’s been working on making La Bowtique a full head-to-toe black tie outfitter, offering footwear from Bowhill & Elliot, accessories running from cummerbunds to braces, and his own made-to-measure tailoring line that launched in October of 2024. And perhaps most importantly of all, Korausch himself wears black tie—a lot. “I’ve worn every type of black tie you can think of,” he continues. “I’ve written a book about it. I’ve done a ton of research on it… Sometimes you have tailors who dress people up, but they don’t wear black tie half as much as I do.” —Eric Twardzik
THE LIBRARY
Fall is my favorite cooking season, which means it’s when I really dig into my collection of cookbooks for some inspiration. It’s also the time of year when most cookbooks are released, so I start looking around, turning first to my publisher, Artisan. I am selfishly a fan of their roster of cookbook authors (they published my cookbook, A Man and His Kitchen!) and I always find something good. This time it’s Joshua McFadden whose latest edition in his Six Seasons series is a book on pasta. I’m also a Jacques Pepin superfan, and his latest book The Art of Jacques Pepin, pairs his own artwork with some of his favorite kitchen recipe staples. Save the airfare to Paris and the reservation at the iconic bistro Paul Bert and buy his new cookbook to try these classic Parisian recipes at home. Finally Eric Wareheim takes us on his steakhouse road trip from Tampa to Mexico and includes some of his favorite recipes from the journey. Go get ‘em!
HAPPY HOUR
This newsletter item is sponsored by Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Last week I visited a prestigious sporting club — a place I’ve had bookmarked and always wanted to visit — in Andover, New Jersey, alongside a group of 33 well-styled friends for an afternoon spent shooting clays followed by an evening marking the release of Blade and Bow’s new 30-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
The gang—which included Wm Brown contributors and regulars like Fred Castleberry, Darryl Lesure, Angel Ramos, and our just-released fall issue’s “Style Muse,” Ryder Kramer—convened in Union Square before beginning the hour bus ride to New Jersey. I asked folks to dress for the occasion, and they did not disappoint: incredible tweeds, worn by sportsmen and non-sportsmen alike!
Our host Jeff Parrot, Brand Cultivator at Blade and Bow, welcomed us to the thousands of acres of private forest by firing off a ceremonial cannon (!) before we split up into different crews to shoot some clays. After about an hour of shooting, we repaired to the lodge for Blade and Bow.
I enjoyed the whiskey neat, a smooth pairing for the blinis and caviar we were served before settling in for a dinner of prime beef short rib and wild-caught shrimp.
All of this, of course, was a prelude to the main event: a tasting of Blade and Bow 30-Year-Old. It’s incredibly rare for a bourbon to see so much time in the barrel—in this case, the juice was laid down in barrels way back in 1993, and spent its aging journey at Kentucky’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Whiskey from only 42 barrels made the cut, so it was a real treat to get to experience it.
Jeff led the tasting, and keyed us in on its nose—lemon, cinnamon, raspberry—before guiding us through the palate, which had a deliciously thick texture. Notes of hazelnut, anise and blackcurrant paired well with chocolate mousse, the perfect complement to its dark and rich fruit flavors.
It was a great day of clay shooting and conversation, a decadent taste of the sporting life—paired with the whiskey made for it, Blade and Bow.
Please drink responsibly.
BLADE AND BOW 30 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 54.5% Alc/Vol.
Stitzel-Weller Distilling Co., Louisville, KY.
Please let us know a source for those cocktail napkins! I have to get them for my husband