When Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) was sworn in as the new Federal Chancellor of Austria, there was quite a circus – at least on his dark red tie: elephants, seals, tigers – all on a narrow piece of cloth. Sebastian Kurz’s successor also likes to present himself on other official dates with binders on which animals can be seen, sometimes even extinct ones like T-Rex – and he is not alone in this. Grown men and animal-themed ties? Jan-Henrik Maria Scheper-Stuke, managing director of the Berlin tie manufacturer Auerbach, has an explanation for this: “You radiate power, money and importance with it,” says the 39-year-old, who is the fifth generation to continue the company of his godfather. And that’s exactly why a chancellor should keep his hands off such codes.
SZ: A man and his tie – how would you describe this relationship?
Jan-Henrik Maria Scheper-Stuke: Most people find it difficult to try new things. They prefer it to be monochrome with a bit of structure. Polka dots or diamond patterns are considered daring. At the same time, some customers have a very explicit idea. One of them already has a large selection of different Bordeaux tones – and in the end chooses a model in a slightly different Bordeaux. The next one wears only black ties, which are only distinguished up close by polka dots, delicate diamonds or paisleys. Sometimes the customer is in our shop and doesn’t know whether he already has this or that. A new color? It’s out of the question.
Do you actually have ties with animal motifs in your range?
Of course, they are particularly popular with the cutaway, the festive day suit in gray for men, which is especially worn in classy societies. I don’t know why, but it seems like some kind of law. Just like the other day at Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe’s wedding: there was hardly anyone who didn’t wear a colorful tie with little elephants, dragonflies, ladybirds, giraffes or other creatures on. Even teddy bears were there. From a distance, however, the animals look more like a graphic pattern; they can only be recognized up close.
I ask because the Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg obviously has a weakness for it. When he was sworn in, he wore a tie with lions, elephants and seals.
I don’t think a chancellor needs to draw attention to investing a portion of his salary in ties. This makes it stand out unnecessarily because of its taste – or that of its stylist. A head of government does not represent his country as a dressman. What he represents, he has to do with his head. Olaf Scholz, Armin Laschet, Joe Biden or Barack Obama would never have thought of wearing an animal tie.
Nevertheless, Schallenberg is not the only politician with an animal tie. There was also the dark blue penguin tie by Ferragamo that Friedrich Merz wore in his application speech for the CDU party chairmanship in 2018. One might wonder if someone who wears something like this wants to be taken seriously?
Absolutely. Take the former Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg: He wore a lot of such ties during his time in office – why? The animal motifs originally came from Hermès; in line with their tradition as a former saddlery, they mainly showed little horses. Such a tie starts at 190 euros, and it exudes power, money and importance. Message: I am not one of many, I have taste. You want to show that you have arrived, that you are moving in the right circles.
Jan-Henrik Maria Scheper-Stuke, managing director of the Berlin tie manufacturer Auerbach.
(Photo: Auerbach tie manufacturer)
And what if Schallenberg simply likes animals as a motif? It could be.
I cannot say what exactly is behind this at Schallenberg. It may also be his wife who takes out his ties in the morning. But I know from experience that people who are not entirely sure of style when it comes to fashion prefer to choose an established designer brand with recognition value that you can’t go wrong with.
Hermès even has a tie with tyrannosaurs – Schallenberg has one too. Perhaps should he have worn it when he was sworn in, as a message to the opposition, so to speak?
A head of government shouldn’t wear a motif tie at all. No mushrooms or flowers either! A statesmanlike model would have been better, like the one Emmanuel Macron wears, it always looks very presidential. Many statesmen choose simple ties with dark suits, without a pocket square. You can work with other elements, which can also be done a little quieter. In certain circles you also know what makes an expensive tie. On the board of a DAX company, for example, you wear a model with a strong feel or with subtle patterns that go well with the shirt. If the Senior Vice President of a management consultancy is sitting in front of you, he is guaranteed to be wearing a handcrafted model from Brioni, Zegna or a manufacturer like ours, which you can tell from the fabric that it is of high quality.
Who then chooses eye-catching patterns at all?
The generation under 50 who like suits but are less keen on ties because they don’t want to be associated with a particular stereotype. Their designs are usually more eye-catching, for example showing round medallions or check-diamond patterns. Finally, there is the wedding party, and there is always a bride behind him – she is usually more courageous than him, so he lets himself into a floral pattern or paisley in bright colors. Grooms who are not used to suits and who only wear streetwear in everyday life usually prefer ties without a pattern – preferably in burgundy or dark blue, at the very most light blue.
And what options do politicians have to stand out in public?
That’s okay, as you’ve seen time and again in the past. Just think of the SPD veteran Ludwig Stiegler with his red sweater or Hans-Dietrich Genscher and his yellow sweater. But to stick with the ties: Guido Westerwelle always wore a yellow one, Gerhard Schröder and Sigmar Gabriel wore a red one.
Do you think that Alexander Gauland wore his hunting dog tie in the 2017 federal election to underline his announcement that he would “hunt” Merkel and her government?
Gauland almost always combines this green tie with his tweed jackets, which one does not know whether it is a yellow dachshund or other dogs. He probably only has this one. However, I’m more afraid that this is due to the taste.
Which tie would you recommend Olaf Scholz to swear in should he become Chancellor?
For such a state act, I advise you to wear a dark blue tie, possibly with sky blue stripes. Or why not a red one with subtle white stripes to match the white shirt – after all, he’s a social democrat. On the other hand: Maybe Christian Lindner will give him a yellow tie to sign the coalition agreement. Or, even better, Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck come to our shop and say: We’d like a yellow-red-green traffic light tie. I want to emphasize that I don’t approve of that stylistically. But it would be amusing.