Private Commissions

Beaded Necktie and Box

2007

Commissioned by Beth Rudin DeWoody, New York, New York
Medium: Necktie: glass beads, thread; Box: archival board, ultrasuede, silk charmeuse, thread, scrolls; Note: archival paper, ink
Dimensions: Necktie: 56 1/8 x 2 x 1/8 in.; Box: 6 7/8 x 6 7/8 x 2 in.; Note: 4 x 6 in.
Photograph: Courtesy of the artists
Artists’ Registration Number: 2007.010.001
Exhibition History: Function and Fantasy: Steven and William Ladd, Mingei International Museum, San Diego, California, 2014. Curator: Christine Knoke

Commission Overview
In 2007, Beth Rudin DeWoody, an iconic collector and a friend who has championed our work for many years, commissioned a beaded necktie to wear on opening night of What’s Your Hobby?, an exhibition she curated at The Fireplace Project in Springs, New York. Having already acquired jewelry and early works from us, Beth wanted something bold, wearable, and distinctively “Ladd” for this occasion.

Artistic Approach
The necktie was loomed entirely of Japanese Delica glass beads in grotto green with an Aurora Borealis finish. Both sides are symmetrical, each with eight diagonal stripe motifs woven in gloss white, brown, grey, and silver-green with Aurora Borealis finish. Unlike our earliest ties, which followed the loom’s blunt edges, this one was shaped with pointed ends, giving it the sharp outline of a traditional necktie while retaining the heft and shimmer of beadwork.

The tie was housed in a custom hand-sewn box made of medium-grey ultrasuede with a pearl-grey and black silk charmeuse lining. Two linen thread dashes secured the fabric across small notches in the lid. Inside, 11 textile scrolls—cashmere, wool, ultrasuede, and cotton in shades of black, grey, and blue—formed a material archive to accompany the jewelry. The box also contained a handwritten note from William, underscoring the personal relationship between artist and collector.

Engagement and Impact
For Beth, the commission was both adornment and statement, a way to embody her support of our work and wear it at a moment of visibility. For us, it reflected the trust of a collector who has been central to our story—someone who wears, lives with, and elevates the art she believes in.

Context and Legacy
This commission marks a turning point in our jewelry practice. The integration of pointed ends, symmetrical patterning, and a fully realized presentation box with scrolls and a personal note signaled a new level of refinement. It also embodied our ethos of creating not just objects but entire experiences—where the tie, the box, the scrolls, and the note form a whole.