Mr Fish kipper tie displayed at Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style

A rare Mr Fish kipper tie discovered in a charity shop has gone on display at the Museum of London Docklands as part of its latest exhibition Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style (on show until April 2024).

Designed by the leading menswear designer Michael Fish, the tie was bought for 99p by 65-year-old charity shop enthusiast Janneke van der Wal who found it in an Age UK shop in Southampton. Attracted by its design and colour, she had no idea of its cultural significance but after googling the designer when she got home, decided to contact the Museum of London to donate it to their collection.



This type of tie, with its exaggerated wide shape, became known as a ‘kipper tie’- a name created as a pun on the designer’s name, Michael Fish. The boundary-pushing menswear designer was a key figure of the 1960s-70s counterculture movement the ‘peacock revolution’ and would go on to launch his own business Mr Fish. Known for his bold use of colour and pattern, Fish revitalised staples of British menswear and played with innovative silhouettes for men. His designs were worn by notable celebrities including Mick Jagger, Muhammad Ali, Jimi Hendrix, and Michael Caine. He dressed Sean Connery for his first role as James Bond, and David Bowie famously wore a Mr Fish dress on the cover of his 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World.


Image: Intricately embroidered evening gown designed by Rahvis in 1952. Image courtesy of Museum of London. Image above: Close-up of the label on a kipper tie designed by Mr Fish, c.1968-1969. Image courtesy of Museum of London.

The tie is one of a number of second-hand pieces featured in the exhibition including an Alexon coat bought from a charity shop for beloved EastEnders character Dot Cotton and a leopard-patterned hat by Otto Lucas, purchased from eBay. Lucas came to London in the 1930s and was known as one of the most successful milliners of all time, putting London on the map for millinery. His hats featured on the covers of Vogue and were worn by clients including Wallis Simpson and screen star Greta Garbo.


Image: Brown Alexon tweed coat worn by June Brown OBE as Dot Cotton. Image courtesy of Museum of London. 

From East End tailors to the couture salons of the West End, Fashion City tells the story of Jewish designers, makers and retailers who made London an iconic fashion city. Those responsible for some of the most recognisable looks of the 20th century, who became leading figures in their industries, and founded retail chains still present on the high street today. Stories in the exhibition range from Moss Bros, whose founders started life as second-hand clothes dealers, to beloved wedding dress designer Netty Spiegel who arrived in London on the Kindertransport, and couturier David Sassoon who dressed Princess Diana on more than 70 occasions.


Image: Blue woven straw hat by Otto Lucas, 1945-50. Image courtesy of Museum of London. 

Next month, a special late night opening will allow visitors to explore the exhibition after hours with a range of special talks and guided tours. It will include a session with the University of Surrey’s Dr Danielle Dove who will explore the 19th-century second-hand clothing trade, the history of Jewish old clothes dealers and how these compare with the contemporary issues of sustainability and ethical consumption today. The Fashion City Late is part of British Fashion Council’s City Wide Celebration of 40 years of London Fashion Week.

Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style is on show at Museum of London Docklands until 14 April 2024.