

The original Ray creation in this line was black-and-white and inspired by an art piece that resembled sheet music, but he's crafted a line of ties with color and interesting patterns. The engaging crafter was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Manasota Honors for his work with Dapper Bowtique, and he said that Monark Custom Framing is the only store in Manatee County that carries his line of bowties.

Ray, the associate managing director of the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, has made bowties his second career. People would wear giant belt buckles with art all over it, and that goes out of fashion quick." "It's a nice accent," says Mark Gagnon of Monark Custom Framing. "The variety that we have here in jewelry and macrame, aromatherapy art and floral design, it was nice to see someone doing a little bit more of art-designed fabric work. Ray's line of wearable art bowties and pocket squares are now on sale at Monark Custom Framing, and the shop's proprietors are thrilled to have them on the shelf. Now, Ray's creations are on sale at the very store that inspired them. And after some fits and starts, he had made a bowtie with many of the same highlights as the art he had seen. Ray went two doors down to a material store, Bits & Pieces, and then down the block to his home. Ray, the man behind Dapper Bowtique, was inspired by some of the artwork at Monark Custom Framing and Art Gallery in Bradenton and decided to do something about it. Travis Ray walked into an art gallery and his brain started turning.
