Up Tied was an American textile house specialising in tie-dyed fabrics founded in 1968 by the husband and wife team Will and Eileen Richardson and Eileen's brother, Tom Pendergast.[1] They won a special Coty Award for "major creativity in fabrics" in 1970.[1] [2]
Will Richardson and his wife, who had worked as window-dressers,[3] were given fabric samples by the Rit company, which Will declared he could do better.[4] When challenged by Rit to prove it, Will and Eileen taught themselves in four days to tie-dye, producing a range of fabrics which met with the company's approval.[4] The Richardsons subsequently showed their tie-dyed velvets and chiffons to fashion editors and designers, although with little success until Halston, who admired the technique's "limp, sensuous quality", placed a $5,000 order.[4] [3] When made up by Halston, Up Tied textiles were worn by the likes of Ali MacGraw, Naomi Sims, and Liza Minnelli.[4] [5]
The Richardsons, after less than a year in business, were being called the "best tie-dyers in the city",[6] namely, New York City where they had a studio near Chinatown, Manhattan, on the floor above the Chinese American Democratic Union.[7] In 1970, they were awarded a Special Coty Award alongside a number of other designers, such as Giorgio di Sant' Angelo, Alexis Kirk and Clifton Nicholson; whose work combined ethnic themes and influences with fine craftsmanship and an appreciation of folk art techniques.[8] Up Tied's use of what was described as an "ancient Oriental art" of dying textiles fitted in with this theme.[8] [1] For the Coty fashion show, Up Tied's section was modelled by six dancers choreographed by Murray Louis.[1]
Along with Halston, the fashion designers Donald Brooks and Gayle Kirkpatrick also used Up Tied fabrics.[1] In 1971, the Richardsons gave a how-to lesson to Look where they demonstrated techniques for creating tie-dye fish and origami patterns upon alongside men's vests to create swimsuit tanks for women, alongside images of military surplus garments which they had customised by dying.[5] According to Eileen, tie-dye fashions represented a "youthful trend away from rigidity and conformity".[9]