Founder Spotlight With Robbie Williams, Bowtie Behavior
Photo Credit: Bowtie Behavior
Robin (Robbie) Williams is the Founder of Bowtie Behavior, a Black, queer, woman-owned bow tie company. Launched in 2014, Bowtie Behavior emerged from Robbie’s personal quest to find stylish and affordable bow ties for a friend's bridal shower. Unable to find what she was looking for, Robbie taught herself how to sew and began creating her own bow ties, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. Today Bowtie Behavior is known for its bold and flavorful handmade designs and is recognized by major media outlets, including HuffPost, BuzzFeed, and Them.
During our interview with Robbie, her perseverance and dedication stood out to us. When Robbie started Bowtie Behavior, she didn’t know how to sew. Since then, she has taught herself that skill, enrolled in a fashion apparel program, and can create a bow tie in under 30 minutes. We loved our interview with Robbie; she is incredibly impressive and a total badass.
Let’s jump into the interview!
Can you share with us the inspiration behind Bowtie Behavior? How did you get started?
Robbie: I started in 2014 in New York. My best friend was getting married, and the theme for her engagement party was bow ties. I had never worn a bow tie before and found they were expensive or very generic in style. My friend, a designer, asked me to make one, but at that time, I only knew how to sew a button onto a shirt! So I went with her to a fabric store and bought some fabric. Then I searched YouTube for how to make a bow tie. I didn't have a sewing machine, so I made it by hand with fabric glue. It was very thrown together, but people loved it, and I ended up winning a competition at the engagement party for the best bow tie. Everyone kept asking me where I got the bow tie which inspired me to keep making them.
Cat & Marianna: Where are you at with your sewing journey now?
Robbie: I can make a bow tie in about 20-30 minutes. Also, I have recently started a fashion apparel program through The Cavanagh House, a Baltimore nonprofit. The program teaches you the ins and outs of sewing, fashion design, sketching, and pattern making. Eventually, I want to start creating blazers to go with my bow ties.
What does your creative process look like when thinking about new designs, patterns, or products?
Robbie: My creative process is mainly inspired by the fabric, colors, and patterns. That's one thing I miss about living in New York, the fabric stores and inspiration. It’s not quite the same here in Baltimore.
I'm also inspired by street style, especially being from the Bronx. I like taking the intimidation out of bow ties and turning them into streetwear. So something that you can wear wherever you're going.
What has been a big challenge in starting and managing Bowtie Behavior?
Robbie: One major challenge has been funding. Right now, I’m in the process of applying for grants. There are a lot of grants for Black-owned, queer-owned, women-owned businesses, but it’s very intimidating when I get to the financials. They usually ask questions about revenue over the past few years, which always gives me Shark Tank vibes. Although I’ve been profitable, it's not anything that I can live off of. I don't want them to look at me and say, “Girl, this is a hobby!”
Another challenge is not believing in my business as much as I believe in someone else's business when I work for them. When it's just me by myself, it's like, “Can you do this? Is this going to make any money?” But it’s already making money so I don't know why I doubt myself. So I’ve been working on getting through that challenge of believing in my business as much as I believe in others.
If you could give one piece of advice to future LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Robbie: One piece of advice would be finding your why and what makes you different. What is your unique point of view?
It always helps me when I reflect on why I started this business.
Remembering what problem I’m trying to solve and what makes my business unique or special.
Photo credit: Bowtie Behavior
When you think about the long-term vision for Bowtie Behavior, what does that look like?
Robbie: I was revisiting my business plan the other day. I'm excited every time I think about my long-term goals. My ultimate plan is to have a brick-and-mortar location for Bowtie Behavior.
So one side of the store would have bow ties on display for sale. The other side would be set up so you can design your own custom bow tie. There would be fabrics and threads, and you could choose what you like. Then you would fill out a form at the counter, pick up the bow tie, or have it shipped.
That's the dream!
Photo Credit: Bowtie Behavior
Cat & Marianna: That's so cool! Where would that location be?
Robbie: It may end up somewhere in California, given the market, and my partner may end up there professionally.
What LGBTQ+ owned brands are your go-to and why?
Robbie: I really like Stuzo Clothing and DapperQ. They're both amazing. I also like Kirren Finch. Those are the three that are coming up for me.
How have you celebrated Pride this year?
Robbie: Typically, I don’t put out a Pride bow tie which people are usually shocked to hear. I don't like resigning to just throwing a flag on everything. But I found this really cool fabric in New York with all of the pronouns on it, so I had to turn it into a bow tie. I just added it to my website in June!
How do you care for yourself, especially during this moment in history (a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed, increased violence against our community, etc.)?
Robbie: One thing that works for me is staying off social media or limiting social media and trying to change the algorithm. So currently, the main thing Instagram shows me is cat videos or puppy videos. That’s pretty much all that comes up, and I'm fine with it.
Sometimes I stay out of my family group chat because they're like, “Have you seen CNN? This is what just happened. Here's the video. Can you believe this person got shot?” And I'm like, “Lord, I cannot do this today.”
Those two things have helped. I also have a best friend who owns a wellness company, and whenever I visit her, she reminds me to take care of myself. I visited her recently and left with some charged moon water and beet juice.
Also, Bowtie Behavior will be donating ~10% of profits towards gender-affirming surgeries, whether it's an organization or an individual.
Who is your favorite LGBTQ+ celebrity, and why?
Robbie: This is cliché, but I would say Janelle Monáe because she's beautiful and looks like she's made of milk chocolate. I love her. I love how she's so free. I love how she is unafraid to be what she feels like in that moment.
Recently, everyone has been talking about how we used to wear bow ties and black and white all the time, and now Janelle’s moving away from that, and it's like, that's okay, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that.
We evolve, change, and find out what we like and don't like. We grow out of things, and we grow back into things.
I love that she's fluid in that way.
Can you share one fun fact about yourself?
Robbie: My fun fact is a little dark. So on my first trip to France, my filmmaker friend and I almost got jumped by French prostitutes.
We made a short film in 2017 and then got into this film program at the Cannes film festival. We were showing the film, so we traveled to France, spent a few days there, and walked through town.
My friend, a filmmaker, and photographer, had her camera and took a picture of this street with many people. Little did we know that was the red light district, and it was working women.
They started swarming us and wanted my friend to give them her camera. But it was a film camera so if you opened it every picture she had taken would be gone.
No one was violent, but they surrounded us. Surprisingly, I wasn't scared, so I pushed my friend behind me, and I was thinking, “I'm going to stand here. I won't be the first to swing, but I don't know what will happen.”
Then two cops rolled up in an unmarked vehicle. They wanted us to go with them, but we didn’t want to. Luckily, these two African women were across the street and saw us. They came over, spoke French to the cops, and were able to take us out of the little circle and to safety!
Cat & Marianna: Wow, that’s definitely an adventure. Thanks for sharing!
