MUGLER: A MAN OF THE FUTURE

MUGLER: A MAN OF THE FUTURE

January 23rd 2022 marked the day where fashion lost one of its most visionary designers. Thierry Mugler, french fashion designer, passed away at the age of 73 after a life of revolutionising the fashion world. Starting off as a ballet dancer, the fashion designer launched his brand in the 1970s with his first collection ‘Cafe de Paris’ being created in 1973. From his first collection his sophisticated yet urban outlook on fashion was visible. 

His avant-garde and theatrical approach to haute couture made him stand out, from corsets to high-heeled boots, Mugler managed to combine science fiction with fashion while still showcasing his punk influence. Mugler fashion shows were known to be an experience. The designer included celebrities, such as Ivanka Trump, but was also one of the first to show diversity including everyone from Drag Queens to iconic models like Naomi Campbell. Being one of the first designers to recognise the power of celebrities, the fashion house Thierry Mugler dressed everyone from Micheal Jackson and David Bowie to Kim Kardashian and Cardi B. His hyper-femminine style could be recognised in both Kim’s ‘Wet Dress’ worn to the 2019 Met Gala as well as Cardi B’s ‘Venus Dress’ inspired by Botticellis’ birth of Venus worn to attend the grammys during the same year but first seen in the Fall/Winter 1995 collection.

“I never dreamed of being a fashion designer. I wanted to be a director..But fashion happened to be a good tool. It was a means of communicating.” - Manfred Thierry Mugler

His visionary approach allowed him to revolutionise fashion so much, his impact is still visible today. Though the brand was not only known for its haute couture but most importantly for its best selling perfume ‘Angel’, launched in 1992 but still present today in most bathroom closets. 

Many described him as a genius, ‘an artist for whom the limit was no limit’ , one of the revolutionaries of fashion, fragrances, photography and staging. The fashion world will forever be influenced by his strong personality, especially after the world had to salute him for one last time.