Leonard of Paris, sort of

I can't find a history of the Leonard of Paris luxury necktie marque anywhere online, but from what I have gleaned from various ebay listings over the years, Leonard himself began his career as a protege of Emilio Pucci before striking off on his own. The classic Leonard tie design features a dark background and one or two bands of thin stripes (one of them usually containing the text "LEONARD") with flowers emerging from them; see the bottom row of ties on this page for examples. The second category of Leonard ties is the Hermés/Ferragamo style, with a small, clever motif repeating throughout the fabric (as in the top two rows of ties on that page). The third and final category of Leonard designs is the whole-tie picture, usually with a floral motif and often including other iconic images, such as lyres or chivalric horses. This American-made Montage by Belle tie, then, is almost certainly "inspired by" that third category of Leonard ties, though a bit less subtle, perhaps. The quality of the silk is nowhere near the fine Leonard fabric, but then look at the price of a Leonard tie! With a copy you get a similar visual effect at a fraction of the cost. Thanks, Belle. Thelle!