LEGO Fashion: Even More Brick-Built Bow Ties

Check out our previous article for more brick-built bow ties like this one from BrickinNick!

Bow ties are cool. Especially brick-built bow ties! Perfect for any occasion to add a bit of levity and class, LEGO bow ties can make a wedding more memorable or a game show appearance legendary.

But why do people love LEGO bow ties and how do you make them? I am happy to report that I found a lot of builders who sport brick-built bow ties and interviewed them in detail. There were so many that we needed two posts, so make sure to check out the builders we featured in our previous article.

In this second installment, we talk to Joe Glass, Allyson Gail, and Grant Fagót about their brick-built LEGO fashion!

Joe Glass’ Minifigure Bow Ties

photo credit: Joe glass

Joe Glass is a man of many brick-built bow ties. Joe is an avid LEGO set collector and a former LEGO Store employee, where his brick-building bow tie journey began on a snowy day in New York. Joe has an interesting story that is both fun and inspiring.

Melissa: Hey, Joe! It’s a pleasure to talk with you! I happily stumbled across one of your stylish brick-built bow ties online and knew I had to know more. Can you tell the BrickNerd readers about yourself?

Joe: I currently live in Seattle with my 8-year-old son. I've been in the toy industry for over 14 years, and find so much joy in building my own bow ties. 

photo credit: Joe glass

Melissa: When did you start creating brick-built bow ties?

Joe: Twelve years ago I was actually working at the LEGO Brand Retail Store at Rockefeller Center. We had a blizzard come through, and that always insanely busy store was, instead, very quiet for one day. I had the store to myself and that huge wall of bricks, so I built my first bow-tie that day. 

photo credit: Joe glass

Melissa: What was the inspiration for the first bow tie you built?

Joe: The inspiration for a bow tie came from the Eleventh Doctor, as he said, "Bow ties are cool." I built my first one as a standard red bow tie. Then I started to build the bow ties around certain minifigures, starting with Hulk (the keychain minifigure, not the big fig) and the urge to build sprung from there. The more licensed minifigures that came out, the more I wanted to build a bow tie around them. 

Melissa: Aside from bow ties, do you build MOCs or collect anything else?

Joe: I have more LEGO sets now than I ever could have imagined as a kid. The bow ties are my only MOCs; after that, I am an avid collector of several themes like LEGO Batman, LEGO Jurassic, and LEGO Star Wars. 

Melissa: Do you attend LEGO conventions?

Joe: We have an amazing one here in Seattle, BrickCon, and I love to see the SeaLUG folks out at comic conventions and other events around the area.

photo credit: Joe glass

Melissa: Very cool! BrickCon is the first LEGO fan convention I ever attended as an AFOL, and the first LEGO fan convention I ever attended. Are you part of SeaLUG?

photo credit: Joe glass

Joe: I am not a part of any LUG, but I will plug SEALUG, amazing builders and wonderful folks. 

Melissa: The SeaLUG folks are all great people and I enjoy hanging out with them at conventions. Back to the bow ties, do you have any epic LEGO bow tie stories?

Joe: Yes, you know what it's like to have someone stop you and comment on your playful accessories. I love how much joy it brings people. So many people tell me it makes their day, and I'm in a lot of people's photos. It's delightful to bring whimsy into someone's day and they really appreciate it.

I wore my bow ties when I went to EPCOT recently. In addition to cast members and guests loving the bow tie I was wearing, all the characters (Pluto, Mickey, Chip, Dale, each one), through pantomime, commented on my bow tie! I told Pluto I liked his collar too and Pluto laughed. I told Mickey, “Coming from you, that means the world,” and he was as bashful as ever. It was surreal to have these walk-around characters communicate their compliments without any dialogue. It was magical.  

photo credit: Joe glass

Melissa: Whenever I see someone in a brick-built bow tie, especially at conventions, I feel the urge to approach them and ask questions about it. Do you find your brick-built bow ties are great conversation starters?

Joe: 100%. It really connects with people on many levels. Either they love the minifigure featured on the bow tie or they love the dapper look and then realize I'm wearing a bow tie made out of bricks. It grabs the interest of all ages, from kids to grandparents! 

photo credit: Joe glass

Melissa: Do you kragle (glue) your bow ties?

Joe: I never kragle. No glue or tricks—all bricks. All I need is clutch power! 

Melissa: What is your favorite bow tie that you have created?

Joe: That is hard, though I love my Maleficent bow tie as it uses the green flame from the Monster Fighters Ghost Train set. It’s the only set to have that green flame. 

photo credit: Joe glass

Melissa: Thanks so much for sharing your minifigure bow ties with us!

Joe: Thanks so much for all these wonderful questions. It's fun to wear toys!

photo credit: Joe glass

Melissa: Thanks so much for sharing your minifigure bow ties with us! You can check out Joe’s other work on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Allyson Gail’s Bow Tie Necklace

I first came into contact with Allyson when I was watching one of my favorite podcasts, the H3 Podcast. Allyson had created a brick-built version of the H3 Podcast studio. It was pretty exciting to see three of my favorite things intertwined: comedy, LEGO, and podcasting.

The H3 podcast keeps me entertained, and I love hearing the sound guy, Zach, talk about his love of LEGO. photo credit: allyson gail

I thought Allyson must be pretty cool when I noticed her bow tie necklace! After taking a deep dive into Allyson’s fun-spirited Instagram account, I knew I was right. Allyson’s talent as a LEGO builder landed her a spot on LEGO Masters US Season 4. 

Melissa: Thanks for chatting with BrickNerd! Can you tell our readers a little about yourself? 

Allyson: Hi! I'm Allyson Gail aka AllysonGailBricks. I'm a LEGO artist and event manager located in Southern California. I love all things LEGO, musicals, Muppets, and puns! My favorite things to build are MOCs made with brick separators like birds, hands, and office supplies.

I also love making life-sized LEGO food, which I keep in my actual fridge alongside my real food because priorities! It makes for a great display with its own lighting and it helps keep the dog hair away. Ya just gotta be careful at night because things can get a bit crunchy!

photo credit: allyson gail

Melissa: I noticed you have a brick-built bow tie necklace on your Instagram account from March 2020. What a unique and awesome idea! What prompted you to create it? 

photo credit: allyson gail

Allyson: I made my first bow tie necklace when I auditioned for LEGO Masters. I knew I wanted to make some LEGO jewelry to wear if I got on the show. I made another bow tie around St. Patrick's Day to keep up with the theme. I decided to post holiday-themed MOCs all year long. The tradition is to wear green on the day or get pinched, so I made myself another bow tie necklace that was green and fit the theme. 

Melissa: Is the bow tie necklace you created glued at all? I know the clutch power of LEGO is strong, but with necklaces constantly swinging around, did you have to use any extra help to ensure you didn’t lose any pieces? 

Allyson: I actually didn't glue either necklace. I'm not that active, so I wasn't worried about it breaking. If it ever did break, I could just fix it. That's an amazing thing about LEGO! 

photo credit: allyson gail

Melissa: Do you build any other wearable LEGO?

photo credit: allyson gail

Allyson: I made all of mine and Mel’s jewelry for LEGO Masters Season 4. I thought it would be fun to wear my own LEGO jewelry, and Mel wears it so well! My favorite were my brick separator earrings.

Melissa: Thanks Allyson! I hope to see you at an upcoming LEGO conventions so we can nerd out together about LEGO Fashion! See you around! 

Grant Fagót’s Colorful Bow Ties

Meet Grant. Grant is an Oregon-based brick-building aficionado who makes those stylish pieces of wearable LEGO flair you can sometimes spot at conventions. I am talking about the spectacular brick-built LEGO bow tie, of course! He also built some amazing pride wings and other colorful creations.

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot

Melissa: It’s great to talk with you today, Grant. Can you tell our BrickNerd readers a little bit about yourself? We would love to hear about your LEGO lifestyle!

Grant: It is great to chat with you. My build style is large or functional. You know you are at my house when the mailbox is LEGO and the front porch bench is also LEGO. I have been out of my dark ages for about ten years now. I started joining the AFOL community about four years ago. I’m happy I have found “my people.” 

Melissa: What was your inspiration to start building LEGO fashion in the form of a bow tie?

Grant: When AFOLs talk, we often get to the question, “What was your first set?” My answer is I just had a box of parts, not a set, just a classic box. I often used the box when I was playing house with my friends, so we would build a house and use Barbies to play in the house and the kitchen we built. Then I built a blocky hat to put on my head or a cane to act like I was in the Charlie Chaplin movie I just watched.

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot

To me LEGO has always been a prop in my life. So when I came out of my dark age and found the LEGO store Pick a Brick wall had the triangle/wedge plates, it only meant one thing to me. I had the perfect base to build a bow tie. I haven’t looked back since. 

Melissa: How long have you been building brick-built bow ties? I find when I am around creative people (which is all the time!), my brain produces ideas faster than I can keep up. It’s the most awesome problem to have! 

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot

Grant: I have always been a bow tie lover. Before making brick built ties, I made my own bow ties using a multitude or different mediums like the standard fabric bow ties, wood, cardboard boxes, duct tape, and even sponges. So making a bow tie out of LEGO was only a matter of time. I have seen many people in the LEGO community wearing bow ties. So I don’t think I am unique in that fashion choice. It is fun to see other LEGO bow tie wearers.

Melissa: How often do people ask you to build them a bow tie?

Grant: I get asked by my non-builder friends often to make bow ties. I explain to them how to do it and offer any technical assistance and to help to get the parts, but I feel they are personal—there are so many different styles to be made. So I will never make one for someone, but I will offer all the support and encouragement they want/need. I had the idea to open an Etsy shop once, but I am better at the creative side and bad at the business side so I never went that way. 

Melissa: How did yo build your first bow tie? Was it digital or more hands-on? 

Grant: I am a hands-on person. I will sketch something out on paper, but when it comes to building, I am hands-on through trial and error. I often have four or five prototypes when I am building anything. When it comes to bow ties that comes in handy because each prototype is completely different.

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot

Melissa: Do you create other wearable LEGO?

Grant: I love all forms of LEGO wearables. I have been working on a continuing build idea, “Can I wear it?” I take a set LEGO produced and see if I can repurpose those bricks into something I can wear: a hat, broach, bow tie, bracelet or other accessory.

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot Bow ties made from the Tiny Plants set!

Yes, I have a brick-built pink “wig” I have made. I also have a large collection of crowns too. I have made glasses (non-wearable with my prescription lenses ), hats, bracelets, and other accessories. I am still trying to perfect the pageboy hat, wearable high heels and a few other accessories I want out of LEGO, but I’m not giving up hope!

Melissa: The pink wig sounds very cool! I hope to see it at a convention one day! Have you ever worn a LEGO bow tie somewhere in public and received an interesting reaction? I ask because I wear LEGO earrings and bring my LEGO clutch purse everywhere.

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot

Grant: Oh man, I need to hear more about your clutch! I have been getting into making LEGO handbags since the 4th season of LEGO Masters US did the handbag challenge, and I had to try my hand at it. I have now made two handbags with plans for many more. 

As for your original question, I have gotten some interesting reactions to my bow ties—but over time it gets to be something I don’t notice anymore. Then someone will go in for a strong hug and the bow tie breaks off the clasp and falls to the floor. The person is always so scared and apologetic. I say that my favorite thing about LEGO is the ability to fall apart and the ability to be put back together quickly. They giggle and often say, “If only that could happen with everything.” 

Melissa: Speaking about putting things back together again, do you take your bow ties apart to create new ones? Or do you have an awesome collection of a variety of bow ties you can choose from for any occasion? 

Grant: I often keep them together. I started with one drawer in my LEGO room where I keep them. Now I have two drawers now because I have so many and can’t stop! I do have many different styles of bow ties to choose from, but I often pick my Pride and Trans flag bow tie to give representation and awareness to our communities that need it right now. 

pHOTO CREDIT: grant fagot

Melissa: It’s been great getting to know you, Grant! I look forward to seeing your future bow ties on your Instagram and maybe even at a convention soon! Keep on brickin’!

Bow Ties Are Cool

That’s been six builders of LEGO bow ties between our two articles, so obviously they are fun to build and wear. Even more importantly, they are an expression of creativity and such a personal MOC for everyone who builds and wears them.

And if you still doubt it, check out this tutorial from Robert Kaine who I mentioned at the beginning of this article for wearing a brick-built bow tie on Jeopardy! (He just built a full necktie too if you want to build even more kinds of LEGO wearables.)

So until the next time we talk about LEGO wearables, stay fashionable with brick-built bow ties!

What other types of LEGO fashion would you like to learn more about? Let us know in the comments below!

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