My neighbor William Harleston created hundreds of neckties from fabric he salvedged from peoples trash.

I first met Bill in 2008 and he was already over 90 years old. Bill would roam our Charleston neighborhood in search of discarded fabric. He had developed a daily routine and each day would return to his home to create neckties from what he had discovered. Notice the neckties are all made of various household items.

These neckties, each created from recycled fabric are hand crafted and were intended to be worn. Sadly, Bill is no longer with us though his collection of recycled neckwear lives on for all to enjoy.

Pajamas, hand towels, mattress ticking, bathrobes, upolstery, old shirts and whatever else our neighbors would discard. Bill continued this daily routine of sewing a necktie for over 20 years and amassed a huge number of neckties which he would proudly offer to friends.

Upholstery

Bill Harleston saw beauty in transforming other peoples trash into useful items.

Dishtowel

A neighbor just recently mentioned how she remembers looking out her window and seeing an elderly man cutting fabric off an old mattress they had discarded. She had always wondered what he was doing.

Bill loved diversty and was open to using any fabric he could find to add style to his neckties.