Michael Fish (fashion designer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Fish is a British
fashion designer famous for designing many of the notable British looks of the 1960s and 1970s, such as the kipper tie
.
of Jermyn Street
. His designs reflected (and to some extent brought on) the "Peacock Revolution" in men's fashion design, which was a reaction against the dull conservatism of men's dress. His shirts were floral in pattern and often included ruffles and other adornments. By the mid 1960s he had opened his own boutique in Picadilly, Mr. Fish, on Clifford Street.
Fish became known for designing flamboyant, attention-getting clothing for notable celebrities of the 1960s and 1970s such as The Rolling Stones
and David Bowie
.
By the mid-1970s his shop had closed and he took a job with Sulka in New York, a label famous for its silk foulard dressing gowns. In 1978, he returned to London to work for Jeremy Norman as Greeter at the fashionable Embassy Club in Bond St -the London equivalent of Studio 54.
Fish's designs set fashion trends, one example being the polo neck sweater look which proved a major success in New York and London in the winter of 1967. Perhaps the most controversial of Fish's designs was the "dress" designed to be worn by men, which was occasionally worn on stage by such rock stars as David Bowie and Mick Jagger
.
, in which Terence Stamp
wore Fish's fashions, and in Performance
, in which Mick Jagger wears one of Fish's man's dresses. Fish was credited as a costume designer for the successful Peter Sellers film There's a Girl in My Soup
. He also designed the ruffled shirts worn by Jon Pertwee
for the duration of his five-year tenure on Doctor Who
.
, Michael Moorcock
's fictional poster child for this era, often wore elaborate tailor-made suits by Mr. Fish.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
fashion designer famous for designing many of the notable British looks of the 1960s and 1970s, such as the kipper tie
Kipper tie
A Kipper Tie is a type of necktie primarily fashionable in Britain in the mid 1960s to late 1970s. The primary characteristics of the kipper tie are its extreme breadth and often garish colors and patterns.- Design origin :...
.
Career as fashion designer
Fish apprenticed in shirtmaking, and by the early 1960s was designing shirts at prominent design boutique Turnbull & AsserTurnbull & Asser
Turnbull & Asser is a British clothier established in 1885. In addition to its flagship store on Jermyn Street in London, England it also has two United States locations, one in New York City and one in Beverly Hills, California....
of Jermyn Street
Jermyn Street
Jermyn Street is a street in the City of Westminster, central London, to the south, parallel and adjacent to Piccadilly.It is well known as a street where the shops are almost exclusively aimed at the Gentleman's market and is famous for its resident shirtmakers Jermyn Street is a street in the...
. His designs reflected (and to some extent brought on) the "Peacock Revolution" in men's fashion design, which was a reaction against the dull conservatism of men's dress. His shirts were floral in pattern and often included ruffles and other adornments. By the mid 1960s he had opened his own boutique in Picadilly, Mr. Fish, on Clifford Street.
Fish became known for designing flamboyant, attention-getting clothing for notable celebrities of the 1960s and 1970s such as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
.
By the mid-1970s his shop had closed and he took a job with Sulka in New York, a label famous for its silk foulard dressing gowns. In 1978, he returned to London to work for Jeremy Norman as Greeter at the fashionable Embassy Club in Bond St -the London equivalent of Studio 54.
Fish's designs set fashion trends, one example being the polo neck sweater look which proved a major success in New York and London in the winter of 1967. Perhaps the most controversial of Fish's designs was the "dress" designed to be worn by men, which was occasionally worn on stage by such rock stars as David Bowie and Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
.
Film work
Fish's designs could be seen in films in the mid 1960s to early 1970s as well, such as in Modesty BlaiseModesty Blaise (1966 film)
Modesty Blaise was a comedic spy-fi motion picture produced in the United Kingdom and released worldwide in 1966. It was loosely based upon the popular comic strip Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell, who wrote the original story and scenario upon which Evan Jones based his screenplay...
, in which Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
wore Fish's fashions, and in Performance
Performance (film)
Performance is a 1968 British crime drama film; the film was produced in 1968 but not released until 1970. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, Performance stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.-Plot:...
, in which Mick Jagger wears one of Fish's man's dresses. Fish was credited as a costume designer for the successful Peter Sellers film There's a Girl in My Soup
There's a Girl in My Soup
There's a Girl in My Soup is a 1970 British comedy film, directed by Roy Boulting and starring Peter Sellers and Goldie Hawn. Sellers appears as Robert Danvers, a vain, womanizing and wealthy host of a high-profile cooking show...
. He also designed the ruffled shirts worn by Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
for the duration of his five-year tenure on Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Literary References
Jerry CorneliusJerry Cornelius
Jerry Cornelius is a fictional secret agent and adventurer created by science fiction / fantasy author Michael Moorcock. Cornelius is a hipster of ambiguous and occasionally polymorphous sexuality. Many of the same characters feature in each of several Cornelius books, though the individual books...
, Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
's fictional poster child for this era, often wore elaborate tailor-made suits by Mr. Fish.