76 Sober Moschino Ties

Franco Moschino spent his career mocking the very fashion world he worked in — and nowhere did that wit come through more than on his ties. In this playful, oversized collection, veteran adman Elliott Curson opens up his personal archive: 76 classic Moschino ties (plus one deliberately "drunken" one) shown at the actual width, many paired with Curson's own wry one-line commentary. Razor blades stamped "LOVE PEACE." A tie wearing its own tiny tie. Silverware, safety pins, dog bones, a Band-Aid captioned "THIS IS A BROKEN TIE!" — Moschino's ties turned menswear into a punchline, and Curson has spent decades collecting them, wearing them, and watching people's reactions. Along the way, he shares the stories behind the collection: discovering Moschino ties at the Philadelphia Sophy Curson shop in 1990; lending Ronald Reagan a tie for his 1980 campaign commercials (and the moment a Secret Service agent turned the motorcade around over the borrowed tie); and a chance encounter with Philadelphia's future mayor over grommets. Equal parts fashion curiosity, humor book, and love letter to a designer who believed clothes should make you laugh, 76 Sober Moschino Ties and One Drunken Moschino Tie is a quick, delightful read for anyone who appreciates wit, whimsy, and the lost art of a tie with something to say. Perfect for: fashion lovers, Moschino collectors, coffee-table browsers, and anyone who believes a tie should never take itself too seriously.