The Thierry Mugler
Known for fetishistic yet spectacular design, Thierry Mugler came to his career in the fashion industry via photography and dance. He was born in France in 1948, and studied at the Lycée Fustel de Coulange in Strasbourg, then later at the School of Fine Arts in 1966 and 1967. The designer started his label in 1978, and joined the Paris based Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture (the people who decide whether couture or not) in 1992. The Mugler brand today is best known for its fragrances, especially Angel and Alien. But Mugler left a big impact on the fashion world. He was part of a generation of designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix who produced wild, theatrical runway shows, and is considered quite unique and controversial.
What is Mugles place in the industry?
In the 80s and 90s, Mugler was the king of over-the-top styles, but his extravagant pieces have started popping up several places lately. Cardi B wore a dress from his 1995 Couture collection to the Grammys, and Kim Kardashian recently wore as many as three of his dresses- one of which was inspired by Sophia Lorens infamous damp and sexy look from the 1957 film “Boy on a Dolphin”, to the Met gala where the theme this year was “camp”. His designs are characterized as Avant-garde, couture, with bold silhouettes and otherworldly themes.
New era for the brand
In 2003, the label went under; however it was revived in 2013 without him being involved. Since he left the company, he’s designed for Cirque du Soleil and musicians. He is behind most of Beyonces “I Am…” world tour costumes, which consists of theatrical yet equally sexy, with corsetry and fetishistic elements to the designs. To give you another example of his place in fashion today, Lady Gaga has been a big fan since back in 2011 when she was in her Born This Way area. You can see the characteristics in her style frequently resembling dominatrix, from towering high-heeled boots and corseted curves, to accessories as neck corsets – just as many of Muglers creations.
As for Thierry Mugler the brand today, their head of design is Casey Cadwallader, who seems more interested in how women dress for their lives than in high drama, however- still manages to stay true to Thierry Mugler the man, with the dramatic dominatrix-ish style. But for stars like Beyonce and Kim K who’s always on the look-out for new ways to stand out, and as fashion falls more in love with themes as camp, the archived pieces designed by Thierry himself, might be more relevant than they have in a long time.
Thierry Muglers design in the 80s vs Thierry Mugler Spring/summer 2020.
All pictures are borrowed from creativecommons.org
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