CYBEROPTIX TIE LAB

Bethany Shorb is breathing some long overdue freshness into neckties with her CYBEROPTIX TIE LAB. My favorites have to be the three ties from the Concealed Weapons Series — above, from left: ‘Ticking Timebomb,’ ’40 Whacks,’ and ‘Let Them Eat Cake.’ The fronts of the ties employ simple and benign iconography, but the backs stealthily reveal the true, dangerous personalities of the accessories. All of the ties are handmade in downtown Detroit with your choice of a pretty interesting and unusual array of materials and come in a wide variety of colors; I most certainly recommend a visit to the website to have a closer look. At around $40, these handmade beauties blow department store ties out of the water.