When Owner & Chief Designer Carey Reddick II crafted his well-organized business plan and strategic vision, he was as surprised as anyone when he was invited to meet with Disney executives to discuss future opportunities for his line of bow-ties.

His meeting with Disney resulted in an interest for using the line of bow-ties for theme park staff and resort wear.

Reddick officially launched Above-Time, Inc., his bow-tie line, on August 28 on the heels of his wildly successful fashion premier held in San Diego on August 15th. Above-Time originally launched to provide upscale fashion accessories for people who wished to live the “well-garnished life.”

By September, Above-Time, Inc. achieved MBE certification (Minority Business Enterprise) as a Pacific Southwest minority supplier.

“Being MBE certified means that Above-Time is almost certainly going to be placed directly in front of decision-makers at Fortune 500 retail corporations (think Nordstrom’s, Macy’s and Disney), that are committed to working with minority-owned businesses,” Reddick explains.

Bow-ties as a fashion accessory have made a huge come-back and are being worn with all types of outfits, from casual to formal, for men and women. As orders starting pouring in, Reddick noticed that many requests came from mothers who wanted to purchase bow-ties for their children.

Coming soon to Above-Time is the Stripling Line—bow ties for children (with hair bows) and the Paws Line—bow ties designed for dogs (yes, dogs!). The website now includes a build-your-own bow-tie section where a custom, made-to-order bow-tie can be crafted to your specs! All bow ties are handmade locally in San Diego. Materials used are cotton and hemp, faux leather, vegan leather, silk, denim.

What’s next for Above-Time? Reddick explains that his line of bow-ties and accessories will be featured in several events in 2016, including a trunk show, an art show and fashion show. In October, the bow-ties were featured at the Alexander Salazar Fine Art Gallery exhibit in downtown San Diego.

Bow-ties are now available at the weekly Palm Springs Street Fair. If you are local to these areas, consider stopping by.

Above-Time is based in San Diego, California and helps support the community through employment and manufacturing. Some sales proceeds benefit Interactions for Peace, a bullying prevention program, highlighted in an earlier post.

When you purchase a bow-tie, you buy into the power of peacemaking.