Tie

Black and white checked tie by Michelsons of London for Harrods. Established in 1937, Michelsons makes neckwear and accessories.
In an oral history interview, the donor, Peter Viti, recalls Harrods opening a department on the top floor aimed at young people. It stocked designer fashions and had a cafe and bar. The Way In boutique opened on the fourth floor of Harrods in 1967.
Peter Viti was born in Bloomsbury in 1936. He attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts, then entered into a partnership making costumes and props. He eventually went into the family business of letting property. Viti calls himself ‘a bit of a dandy’. He purchased clothing from the boutiques which revolutionised men’s fashion in the 1960s. Viti recalls the London gay scene both before and after the legalisation of sex between consenting men in 1967, considering that things became a little easier for gay men as attitudes slowly changed.