A Unique Women’s Leadership Tie Created in Latvia

Survey results show that currently only 5% of women gain confidence at work from choosing the right accessories, suggesting that the rest have not yet found ones that suit them. The herstory tie by Olsen+Partners, designed by Una Pūpola, is a symbolic manifesto for women leaders. It transforms the classic tie from a symbol of masculine authority and conformity into a sign of feminine leadership. The idea is based on a wordplay between history – “his story” – and her story, which emerged during the second wave of feminism in the 1960s–70s and emphasized the need for women to retell their own history and story.

“Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent once created the women’s tuxedo, and Una Pūpola has now created the women’s leadership tie. I will be bold enough to say that both events are significant proofs of women’s power and of the societal changes taking place. A leader in her daily life can be many things – strict, gentle, elegant, and rebellious – and all these qualities are necessary. To reflect the diversity of women leaders, we have also developed the herstory leadership language, where each way of tying the tie conveys its own message,” explains Olsen+Partners partner Olga Kazaka.

For example, the classic knot symbolizes empowerment and confidence (called empowerment), while the bow stands for femininity (elegance). A light knot with one loop (balance) symbolizes the harmony when a woman leader often acts as a bridge between opposites, while the untied tie (liberation) demonstrates the ability to break free from the need to prove oneself and bravely begin a new chapter in life. Finally, the double knot (legacy) symbolizes a woman’s ability to connect past and future – a tying method that reveals both sides of the tie.

The tie is handmade from wool, silk, and lining fabric, referencing the symbols of corporate discipline – the suit and the “power suit.” As designer Una Pūpola notes, the choice of fabrics is not accidental – it symbolizes parts of the jacket, suit fabric, and lining, essentially becoming “a blazer tied around the neck.”

“This accessory embodies ambiguity – pointing to control and traditionally masculine symbols of authority, while at the same time communicating an alternative story. The herstory tie is no longer just a style element – it becomes a symbol that challenges gender stereotypes and highlights women’s visibility and ability to create their own story, both past and present,” explains unattached.dresscode founder and designer Una Pūpola, who has also explored the question of women’s roles in corporate environments in the context of power and gender stereotypes in her recent research ‘What’s Wrong with This Woman? The Power Suit Agency in Shaping Women’s Identity in the Context of Fashion as Communication’, which also resulted in a clothing collection.

* The survey was conducted by the research company Norstat, commissioned by Olsen+Partners, questioning 1,017 Latvian residents aged 18–74.