Mr Fish tie found in charity shop goes on display at London museum

A "rare" Mr Fish tie bought for 99p in a charity shop has gone on display in a fashion exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands.

The tie was purchased by charity shop enthusiast Janneke van der Wal.

Created by designer Michael Fish, it is a "Kipper tie", known for its unusually wide shape.

Ms van der Wal, 65, said after buying the tie in an AgeUK shop in Southampton she looked up the designer and decided to contact the museum to donate it.

She said: "I'm not in the habit of buying ties at all, but I saw it out of the corner of my eye and there was just something about it: the vibrant colours and the width. It reminded me of the seventies.

"I had absolutely no use for it, but thought perhaps it would come in handy if there ever was a fancy dress party."

Ms van der Wal added: "Once home, I noticed the Mr Fish label which sounded kinda zany, so decided to search the internet to see if I could find out a little more about it.

"I didn't get very far, but far enough to realise that maybe a museum might be interested in it.

"It just goes to show, you never know what you might find - I'm thrilled to see the tie is now part of this fantastic exhibition."

Michael Fish was known for rejecting the concept of gendered clothing and revitalising menswear staples, and his use of bold colours and luxurious fabrics made him popular with A-list celebrities in the 1960s.

The museum said the menswear founder was a key figure of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture movement called the peacock revolution, and would go on to launch his own business called Mr Fish.

During the era he dressed the likes of Mick Jagger, Michael Caine and Muhammad Ali, and also designed David Bowie's dress worn on the album cover of "The Man Who Sold the World".

The museum described the tie found by Ms van der Wal as "rare" and said it was now part of its Fashion City exhibition, which tells the story of Jewish designers, makers and retailers who gave London its sharp fashion reputation.

Other second-hand pieces featured in the exhibition include an Alexon coat bought from a charity shop for EastEnders character Dot Cotton and a leopard-print hat by famous milliner Otto Lucas, purchased from eBay.

Mr Lucas' hats featured on the covers of Vogue and were worn by clients including Wallis Simpson and film star Greta Garbo.

Lucie Whitmore, curator of Fashion City, said the team were "delighted" to have "iconic pieces of London fashion in our collection and on display in the exhibition".

"Given the strong connection between Jewish makers and second-hand fashions, there is a wonderful symmetry to them finding a home at the museum this way," she said.

Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style is due to run until April.

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