Following in the footsteps of Esteban Cortazar and Alex P. Keaton comes Baruch Shemtov, a Ramaz student–cum–tie designer whose first collection sold out at Takashimaya. As his former summer-internship boss Jonathan Adler says, “At 16, I was in my basement in a haze of marijuana. I wasn’t filled with moxie and starting a biz, like Baruch. We were borderline intimidated by him.”

Just how into fashion are you?
For an eighth-grade history project, I researched Ralph Lauren as having had the greatest impact on American history. Everyone else picked the Great Depression.

Who’s your favorite young designer?
Zac Posen.

Why does that not surprise us?
He made this elegant gown out of raffia, a hula-skirt material. It’s similar to what I do—reinterpret conventional structure. Instead of a smooth twill for a tie, I’ll use women’s couture fabric. I’ll match dupioni silk with seersucker.

You don’t carouse much with models; what do you do for fun?
I play my clarinet, which Woody Allen signed at the Carlyle. And you know Sotheby’s? A few years ago, I bid on a 3,000-year-old piece from a tomb. I didn’t get it, but my final bid wasn’t for a lot less.

They took you seriously?
I was registered. I had my paddle. There was no reason they shouldn’t have.

Have you gotten any good advice?
Donald Trump said, “Sell a lot of ties.”

Related:

• Archive: “Intelligencer Features”
• Articles by Denise Penny
• From the Dec 7, 2003 issue of New York