Meet Michelle Kohanzo
Michelle Kohanzo is the president of The Tie Bar, a premium quality online and brick-and-mortar menswear brand founded in Chicago in 2004. We met Michelle through our friend (and official friend of Martha) Teresa Surratt of Camp Wandawega and instantly knew we wanted to collaborate with her and The Tie Bar brand.
Michelle is as accomplished they come! She lives and breathes retail, can style a space at the drop of a hat and is a leader of vision that still manages to mind every detail! Our founder Jean Cate and team at The Center of Order and Experimentation worked with The Tie Bar to design The Office of Innovation, a collection of accessories that celebrate the power of dressing for success in life and work. These adornments for achievement were inspired by control rooms and Mid-Century office architecture and desk tools. Silk ties, pocket squares, tie pins and clips and socks that make you feel prepared for everyday accomplishments or momentous triumphs.
The collection has officially launched at The Tie Bar in-store and online, so we wanted to give you a look behind the scenes and a thoughtful interview with Michelle who we loved working with to bring this collection to life.
Visit The Tie Bar's beautiful new flagship brick-and-mortar shop in Lincoln Park, shop the collection, and explore The Center of Order and Experimentation's Outpost (at The Tie Bar) featuring a curated selection of utilitarian goods.
Hi Michelle! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. I have 4 children and we live in Barrington, IL with our 2 poodles and 2 hairless cats and my husband, (not in that order, sorry Dave!). I love textiles and am an avid knitter. I also love to cook.
What excited you and sparked your creativity and curiosity as a child?
I have always been obsessed with snakes, lizards, and frogs. I am an animal lover and was always rescuing something as a kid. Also, my grandmother is a quilter and her mother before her, so she taught me to sew at a very early age. My love of textiles definitely comes from her.
Your career spans merchandising, brand building, retail leadership and creative partnerships. Looking back, what first drew you to retail, and what has kept you engaged in the industry throughout the years?
I kind of accidentally fell into retail through a temp job when I was 19, but I instantly loved it. It’s so multi-faceted; merchandising, design, finance, real estate. Retail really has it all and I have been lucky enough to be exposed to every area of the business.
Throughout your career, what are some of the most important lessons you've learned about building enduring brands rather than simply chasing trends?
At The Land of Nod we had a phrase “customer service so good it’s weird” and I think that is the most important thing. Love your customers, know them deeply, and everything you do, do with them in the forefront. The other thing is build an amazing culture, a culture permeates a brand. It’s the magic sauce.
You have a distinct point of view when it comes to personal style. How would you describe your aesthetic and what elements are you loving lately in both clothing and interior design?
Lately I have been calling my style “high school art teacher”, lots of color and no restraint. I just bought one of Emily Dawn Long’s “a hat called Wanda” in the red stripe and that is now my entire personality. I am kind of obsessed with everything she does.
On the interior design side, the thing I can’t get out of my mind at the moment is building a bed of mixed gingham in every crazy color. I will pull the trigger on that one soon.
The Tie Bar began with a simple premise of making well-designed accessories accessible. How do you think the brand's founding mission resonates with today's customer, and how has it evolved?
I think that value and accessibility remain incredibly important principles for The Tie Bar. The biggest change is that we are no longer just the most inexpensive tie. We have expanded the concept of value to include higher price points, and more bespoke elements that the consumer has really resonated with.
As President, what is your long-term vision for The Tie Bar? What aspects of the brand's heritage do you feel are most important to preserve, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for innovation?
My boldest vision is that men and women start wearing ties on a day to day basis and that The Tie Bar can be part of a fashion revolution. Ties will always hold value as an essential part of the brand, but I see the brand evolving further into dress apparel, specifically suiting.
Can you tell us about the vision behind the new Chicago flagship brick and mortar shop? What elements of the customer experience were most important to you when designing the new store?
The Chicago Flagship is the brand brought to life. It is a considered mix of vintage and modern pieces, as well as artworks from our favorite artists. I am incredibly excited about the new store and have spent the past several months obsessing over every detail.
We're thrilled to be partnering with The Tie Bar with our sister business: The Center of Order and Experimentation on the OFFICE OF INNOVATION collection. What excites you about this collaboration, and how does it align with the broader direction of the brand?
Well first of all. I love you guys, you’re just lovely people and infinitely creative. Aside from that, I love that The Center of Order and Experimentation shares a love of Chicago, that we created such a beautiful collaboration and that you are going to curate goods for The Tie Bar specifically. It’s a perfect partnership.
Collaboration has become a defining part of The Tie Bar's brand and seems to be a large part of your personal ethos. How do you define success in a collaboration? Are there any common elements you’ve noticed in past successful partnerships?
Collaboration is absolutely essential for me. I think it adds so much richness and depth to our brand and it is inspiring to meet and work with new and interesting people. For me, a successful collaboration is one that creates long term relationships and deep roots for both parties. My dear friend Tereasa Surratt taught me the idea of the virtuous circle: the idea of being open and allowing the creative process to happen and the dividends that that mindset pays. It’s really beautiful. Speaking of Tereasa, she of course introduced us, thanks T!
The Center of Order and Experimentation will be creating an Outpost within The Tie Bar flagship store. How do you think collaborative partnerships and pop-ups add to the brick & mortar experience? What do you think makes brick & mortar and in-person experiences valuable to both brands and customers?
We sell ties, and you don’t necessarily need a tie everyday, so the Outpost gives our customers a reason to stop by. And hopefully The Center reaches a new audience in a different part of the city.
Where do you love to hang out in Chicago?
I love Bistro Monadnock so much and it’s right around the corner from my office. And of course Armitage Alehouse is so yummy!!!!
What are you currently loving at Martha Mae?
I just recently was introduced to Jean’s paintings and I am obsessed!! We actually procured one for the new store. They are gorgeous. I also love the gorgeous little watercolor palettes, even though I am not much of a painter.
