China Chic Comes Full Circle

Raphael le Masne de Chermont is on a mission to liberate men from the tyranny of the necktie. The executive chairman of Hong Kong-based Shanghai Tang, purveyors of "China chic" fashion, has launched the Mandarin Collar Society. The invitation-only "club" has its own manifesto, encouraging men to "just say no" to the ritual of the daily knot. "We are trying to re-invent an acceptable way of dressing that is comfortable and elegant," says le Masne.

Le Masne isn't trying to change the world overnight, so don't expect him to be organizing the male equivalent of bra burnings that symbolized the women's liberation movement of the 1960s. "It's a small revolution. We are not declaring war on the tie, just an alternative to Western elegance," he says, adding, "We are trying to sell as many mandarin collars as possible."