My father, Michael McVeigh, who has died aged 79, spent his life working in the menswear industry, having started out during the London fashion boom of the 1960s and 70s. He co-owned boutiques in Chelsea and later ran successful shops in Bath, also travelling around Britain in his dream job as a window dresser for upmarket stores.
Mike was born in Ealing, west London, and grew up on the other side of the capital in East Ham. He was the youngest of the four children of Sarah (nee McGrath) and Archie McVeigh, who had moved to London from Belfast. Archie, a merchant seaman, was often away from home; Sarah brought up their children, Terry, Gerald, Marie and Mike.
Mike went to Thomas Lethaby school in East Ham, but left without any qualifications – he preferred being the class clown to studying. His love of American fashion and creative flair helped him to quickly build a reputation as a freelance window dresser in West End clothing stores.
Cutting-edge menswear outlets such as Cecil Gee and Michael Barrie gave him creative licence to promote their sharp styles, and he went on to produce window displays for Harrods and Selfridges. He also worked as a sales assistant, serving celebrities from Groucho Marx to Mick Jagger, and building a meticulous knowledge of tailoring. In 1968 he married Vivien Dixon, and they went on to have a daughter, Leah.
In 1972, Mike opened his first boutique, The Emperor of Wyoming, with Billy Murphy, a friend and colleague with whom he shared Irish roots. Named after a Neil Young track and specialising in imported Americana, it became a fashion hotspot on Kings Road, Chelsea, and soon opened a second branch.
Mike flew out to the US on business in the mid-70s and took an impromptu road trip, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Back in London, though, his marriage and his business partnership both ended in quick succession, and he sought a new start.
Mike initially returned to window dressing, moving around before settling in Bath with his new partner, Hilary Sterrett, with whom he had two children, my younger sister, Sabrina, and me. Together, Mike and Hilary ventured into the city’s bohemian fashion scene, and in the mid-80s Mike opened Biffo, a menswear store frequented by bands including Echo & the Bunnymen and Tears for Fears.
Biffo was later rebranded as Mike’s Country & Western Store, but the early 90s recession led to the business closing and Mike returned to sales. He excelled at it, making the Bath suit department one of River Island’s most successful.
His later career took in menswear chains including Burton and Moss Bros, and two stints managing charity shops in Devizes, Wiltshire. These roles allowed him to once again showcase his knowledge, eye for quality and shop-front skill.
When he and Hilary separated in 2008, Mike moved to Salisbury and eventually settled into an almshouse. He seemed to find a new contentment there, before dementia began to chip away at his independence. He faced the situation with dignity, dry humour and a style that never left him.
Mike is survived by Leah, Sabrina and me.
