Keira is Best Dressed at the Golden Globes.
http://www.style-spotlight.net/category/celebrities/keira-knightley/
Need I say more? Brian.
Nice knot. Thanks.
I can’t find the ABOK xrefference to this topic, so stupid on my part. Simpson # ??? As much fun as this is… hows about keeping the site to knotting?
Nice find Brian,
Golden Globes come on the tv,holy cow,is that a knot dress.
As soon as I clicked Bs link I thought of true lovers knot.
ABOK 2416,
Now I went to Graumont and Hensal…the 3 leaf dragonfly ,Page 274,easy to put the fourth bight in.
Cheers - good topic
PABPRES,
Apparently, the answer to my question, “Need I say more?”, is yes! ;D
The knot that I have seen typically used as a fashion accessory in European dress design, is the Bow Knot, ABOK 2402, or some variation on this knot, for example, ABOK 2411 to 2414.
What struck me about the knot used by Valentino’s Italian designers, for the dress modelled by Keira Knightley, was the Eastern (Asian) style.
I first saw the photo of the knot in a newspaper. With the low resolution, my immediate reaction was that the designers used a knot from the Chinese Knotting tradition. I thought it might be the knot, or a variation, shown as ABOK 2453; or, more likely, the “Round Brocade Knot” shown in Lydia Chen’s “Chinese Knotting” book (I don’t have an ABOK reference for this knot).
When I looked for a higher resolution photograph, I found the picture shown here: http://www.style-spotlight.net/category/celebrities/keira-knightley/ . Now, I think that the knot is formed in the same manner as the “Trefoil Knot”, ABOK 2281, with a fourth loop (rather than going around the cuff) and additional wraps to form the cross. I think the knot is an “end knot” on one set of strands. However, it is difficult to tell without physically handling the knot and the belt- my quess though.
Cheers,
Brian.
Thanks Brian,
That is a nice find.
...... As much fun as this is.... hows about keeping the site to knotting?Roy, This is knotting, pure and not even simple. And I think we can do a lot more than pure knotting here. I enjoy the talk about the old days on sea and the kind of rope in use there, as well as the other less formal knotty but not knots subjects. I even feel we need more topics like that.
Willeke
Brian,
I have a feeling that the knot might not even be a knot, but a bunch of rope sewn together to look like a knot. Similar to the graphic design for the Live 8 Concert that looked like a figure of eight knot but was really something else if tied in hand, this knot might only be a clothing designers “vision” of what a knot should look like. The truth is, as you say, in holding the knot in your hand, which, alas, may not ever happen.
Still it is interesting to see a knot used in such a fasion. Might even be trend setting, maybe others will want even more complex knots to display, even paying big bucks for them… or maybe not.
Pat
Both wearer and dress were certainly pretty, but the angle on the knot was not conducive to figuring out the knot involved. since it was noted that the dress was a “Valentino”, I investigated a smidge:
http://www.valentino.it/
is the designer’s site. Unfortunately, it’s all Flash, so I can’t direct link, but go to the Women’s Spring/Summer collection and (I think) page 6 (the dress is #82). Using the zoom feature, you can get a reasonable view of the knot… if, indeed, it is a knot and not just an embroidered (appliqued?) concoction that just looks like a wonderful knot. 8)
Carol,
Wow! Thanks for investigating Valentino’s site and finding the reference with its zoom! With my dialup line, I saw flash and immediately stopped!
With Pat’s and your comments, I think I agree that the most one can say is that it “just looks like a wonderful knot”.
Cheers - Brian.
Ps. At least on page 4, dress #50, I think I can confidently identify the “Bow Knot” on the model’s waist and cuffs. 
This discussion reminds me that a few years back, Vera Wang’s organization contacted me briefly (I only know about her because she also designed some figure skating costumes, because as anyone who has seen me knows, I know nothing about fashion). But, perhaps someone who actually follows fashion might know if knots turned up in her work…
Lasse_C points out, in his post on his great MP3 player lanyard, that knotters discuss “how to make traditional knotting a contemporary art”. Pat_Ducey says, “… it is interesting to see a knot used in such a fasion (sic)” referring to the “knot” on Keira Knightly’s dress.
Lydia Chen in the second of her three volumes on Chinese Knotting (published in Taiwan, 1993) shows a picture of a girl with a multi-coloured Chinese decorative knot appliqued to the side of a knee high sock.
Elizabeth Fourmont, a fashion journalist, in her blog, shows a picture of the March 6, 2006 presentation of Martin Grant’s dress designs. A Celtic cross is a fashion accessory on the model’s ankle shown here: http://lacoquette.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/img_0776.JPG . This Celtic cross is almost certainly a transfer, but a tied Celtic cross could have been used (if available) as Lydia Chen shows with decorative Chinese knotting.
I suspect that the history of decorative knotting, across time and cultures, is only slightly shorter that the history of utilitarian knotting. Traditional knotting designs still peak out in the 21st century. Perhaps, modern knotters can help knotting become a fashion accessory and, as a result, a new trend.
Cheers - Brian.
Macrame accessories have been making a comeback for a few years now. I read most of the beading magazines and the number of macrame projects (jewelry) have been steadily increasing.
Roy, This is knotting, pure and not even simple. And I think we can do a lot more than pure knotting here. WillekeI agree with Willeke here!
First: This forum is presented on the main forum page as “Chit chat - you can talk about anything in here”. As a consequence, I think any knot/knotting related subject is OK.
Second: As I touched upon in my thread “Knotting into the 21:st century”, I think it is important to discuss implementation and use of knots/knotting in society of today - be it practical, purely ornamental or both.
Third: In a way, I can see the relevance of keeping some discussions strictly technical - perhaps we should have a separate "Technical forum? (Personally, I am far from convinced about that, but if it is considered needed, perhaps we should have one?)
As to whether the decoration on the dress is a knot it sure looks like a knot, but on the homepage it is stated as “embroidered rope detail”. Which makes it… what? ???
Lasse C
Hi Lasse,
I guess to answer your question you would have to define a knot? If a knot is drawn on a piece of flat, two-dimensional (infinitely thin) paper to look like three dimensions, is it still a knot of three dimensions? On the other hand, because this is knotting, not philosophy or ideology, maybe a practical definition is what is needed and for that - if it looks like a knot, acts like a knot and is tied like a knot…? Otherwise it is an illustration of a knot or a likeness of a knot. I know, you cannot define something by saying it is what it is, but let’s not get too carried away in esoterics (or, in her case, erotics) and miss the purpose of the decoration. It’s purpose (in this case) was to provide an accent to the dress, which I feel it did handsomely! A special thank you to Keira Knightley for wearing it, too. Just my two cents worth,
Lindsey
Hi Ladies and Gentlemem, ;D
I think that whatever the knot and under some forms, it be, it will always be a knot !!! :
Sometimes magic, practice, or purely decorative. 
This is that exactly… that some does the attraction!
With my friendships to all,
Al
Hello Mesdames, Messieurs,
Je pense que quel que soit le noeud et sous quelques formes, il soit, il sera toujours un noeud !!!
Parfois magique, pratique, ou purement décoratif.
C’est cela justement… qui en fait l’attrait !
Avec mes amitiés à tous,
Al