Not many people can claim the career starter that was thrust upon famed artist and landscape architect, Maya Lin. In 1981, while still a senior at Yale University, Maya’s design submission for the Vietnam Veterans’s Memorial in Washington DC may have only received her a B+ from her professor, but was selected as the winning design among the more than 1400 national competition entries. At the ripe age of twenty-one, her resume was already more impressive than most of the older, male counterparts she was about to be surrounded by.

Maya, a Chinese-American who is still actively creating captivating structures, has always been a minority in her field. But the controversy that unfolded in 1981 after her design was anonymously selected sparked questions as to whether the American public was accepting of a young Asian-American woman being awarded this prestigious honor. Despite the controversy, Lin’s structure was built to her specifications and was dedicated in 1982. It has since been named one of the most important memorials in the United States and is among the most visited structures. 

Now decades into her work, Maya has an impressive list of projects that speak to her passion for the environment. “It is a moral issue. One species absolutely does not have the right to overwhelm the planet...I'm interested in getting people to visualize what is below the surface. We tend not to pay attention to that which is invisible." Her work has led to many accolades, including a 1995 Academy Award winning documentary on herself titled, Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision. In 2009, President Obama honored her with the National Medal of Arts and then again in 2016 with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The ’Stone Stories’ necktie is designed in a marble print representative of the natural materials landscape architect, Maya Lin utilizes in her artistic pieces. Famous for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, the leather strips at the tail ends of the necktie are symbolic of the black stone wall that is the base of the design. We hope this necktie is a subtle yet powerful accessory to your clothing ensemble, similar to how Maya Lin’s designs live within existing landscapes.

Necktie details:

• 2” wide and 62” long
• 100% silk
• Leather strips at tail ends
• Spot clean or dry clean only
• Made in USA by a female-run production house 
• Includes an illustrated storyboard featuring Maya Lin’s accomplishments and a guest illustration by Emanuella Israel.
• Packaged in a keepsake box