Countess Mara
Encyclopedia
Countess Mara, founded in 1935 by Lucila Mara de Vescovi, was a menswear fashion label specialising in high-end pictorial necktie
s. The brand has been owned by Randa Accessories
since 1998.
, an American singles tennis champion, in 1926. In 1930, following an argument about her husband's dull ties, his wife made him one from silk dress material.
In 1932, Whitman committed suicide. His grief-stricken widow subsequently travelled throughout Europe, where she purchased fabrics and brought them back to New York with the intention of launching a career making men's ties.
portrait of the Countess de Mar wearing a loosely tied Steinkirk cravat.
Countess Mara ties featured several novel marketing decisions. She had her initials featured on the outside blade of each tie, ensuring that they were instantly recognizable. The ties were made in very limited quantities, typically only fifteen dozen per design, and they were comparatively expensive. This led to their becoming collector's items, sought after by celebrities and fashion-conscious businessmen. Other tie manufacturers, noticing her success, copied her business model and hired artists to imitate her tie designs. Mara did not mind this, saying in 1949 that being imitated had "expanded the acceptablity of the pictorial tie".
In 1944 Countess Mara was awarded the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
in recognition of the influence her ties had had upon fashion.
One of the most high-profile wearers of Countess Mara neckwear was Frank Sinatra
, who sometimes wore one-of-a-kind custom ties made especially for him by the firm.
, a major manufacturer and distributor of men's neckwear. Countess Mara belts, leather goods, neckwear, shirts, sportswear
, and other products and accessories are retailed worldwide.
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
s. The brand has been owned by Randa Accessories
Randa Accessories
Randa Accessories is a manufacturer, distributor and marketer of belts, wallets, neckwear, neckties, luggage, casual bags, backpacks, briefcases, and other leather goods. The company was incorporated in 1935, and now has a worldwide clientele...
since 1998.
History
Lucilla Mara de Vescovi was born in Rome in 1893. She married Malcolm WhitmanMalcolm Whitman
Malcolm "Mal" Douglass Whitman was a male American tennis player.Whitman is best known for this hat trick at the U.S. Championships. Between 1898 and 1900, he stayed undefeated there...
, an American singles tennis champion, in 1926. In 1930, following an argument about her husband's dull ties, his wife made him one from silk dress material.
In 1932, Whitman committed suicide. His grief-stricken widow subsequently travelled throughout Europe, where she purchased fabrics and brought them back to New York with the intention of launching a career making men's ties.
Countess Mara
Following her return to New York, Lucilla de Vescovi Whitman founded her men's neckwear company in 1935. She branded herself "Countess Mara". While Mara was her second name, the company name might have been inspired by a 18th century KnellerGodfrey Kneller
Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to British monarchs from Charles II to George I...
portrait of the Countess de Mar wearing a loosely tied Steinkirk cravat.
Countess Mara ties featured several novel marketing decisions. She had her initials featured on the outside blade of each tie, ensuring that they were instantly recognizable. The ties were made in very limited quantities, typically only fifteen dozen per design, and they were comparatively expensive. This led to their becoming collector's items, sought after by celebrities and fashion-conscious businessmen. Other tie manufacturers, noticing her success, copied her business model and hired artists to imitate her tie designs. Mara did not mind this, saying in 1949 that being imitated had "expanded the acceptablity of the pictorial tie".
In 1944 Countess Mara was awarded the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
Neiman Marcus Fashion Award
The Neiman Marcus Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion was a yearly award created in 1938 by Stanley Marcus. Unlike the Coty Award, it was not limited to American-based fashion designers...
in recognition of the influence her ties had had upon fashion.
One of the most high-profile wearers of Countess Mara neckwear was Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, who sometimes wore one-of-a-kind custom ties made especially for him by the firm.
Designs
Countess Mara tried to make her ties colourful, interesting and artistic, while avoiding spectacular and showy designs. She described her ties as "jungles" populated with trees, flowers and animals. However, her ties also featured a wide range of other subjects, including:- Tennis
- Polo
- Skiing
- Egyptian hieroglyphsEgyptian hieroglyphsEgyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
- Astrological signAstrological signAstrological signs represent twelve equal segments or divisions of the zodiac. According to astrology, celestial phenomena reflect or govern human activity on the principle of "as above, so below", so that the twelve signs are held to represent twelve basic personality types or characteristic modes...
s - Musical instruments
- Giraffes
- Camels
- Bison
- Deer
- Sheep
- Zebras
- Squirrels
- FaunFaunThe faun is a rustic forest god or place-spirit of Roman mythology often associated with Greek satyrs and the Greek god Pan.-Origins:...
s
- Lobsters
- Fish
- Sea urchins
- Performing sealsPinnipedPinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
- MermaidMermaidA mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
s - Insects
- Dragonflies
- FairiesFairyA fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
- Vultures
- Owls
- Turkeys
- Geese
- Magicians
- Lady GodivaLady GodivaGodiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
- Dancing girls
- The DevilDevilThe Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
- Safety-pins
- Playing cards
- Cacti
- Sea shells
- Mice
- Foxes
- Key-rings
- Torn love-letters
Countess Mara Today
The Countess Mara brand was purchased in March 1998 by Randa AccessoriesRanda Accessories
Randa Accessories is a manufacturer, distributor and marketer of belts, wallets, neckwear, neckties, luggage, casual bags, backpacks, briefcases, and other leather goods. The company was incorporated in 1935, and now has a worldwide clientele...
, a major manufacturer and distributor of men's neckwear. Countess Mara belts, leather goods, neckwear, shirts, sportswear
Sportswear (fashion)
Sportswear has been called America's main contribution to the history of fashion design. The term became popular in the 1920s to describe relaxed, casual wear typically worn for spectator sports...
, and other products and accessories are retailed worldwide.