Manfred THIERRY MUGLER; who died on this date (b: 1948) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the following decades for his avant-garde, architectural, hyperfeminine and theatrical approach to haute couture. He was one of the first designers to champion diversity in his runway shows, which often tackled racism and ageism, and incorporated non-traditional models such as drag queens, pornstars, and transgender women. In 2002, he retired from the brand, and returned in 2013 as the creative adviser.
At the beginning of his career he designed signature looks for Michael Jackson, Madonna, Grace Jones, David Bowie and Diana Ross; most notably Demi Moore’s dress from the 1993 movie Indecent Proposal, which was once coined “the most famous dress of the 1990s”. In 1992, he directed and designed the outfits for George Michael’s “Too Funky” music video; also that year he launched the perfume Angel, which became one of the best-selling perfumes of the 20th century. Mugler’s fall 1995 haute couture collection, marking the 20th anniversary of his brand, was staged at the Cirque d’Hiver venue in Paris; and has been referred to as the “Woodstock of Fashion”, for having over 300 designed looks, an elaborate set design, dozens of high-profile supermodels and a performance from James Brown.
He also designed costumes for Beyoncé’s I Am… World Tour, and created a one-off design for Kim Kardashian to wear to the 2019 Met Gala.
During the 1980s and 1990s Mugler became an internationally recognized designer, often grouped with his friends Claude Montana and Azzedine Alaïa but known especially for his shapely suits, and his collections garnered much commercial success. Except for a couple of sedate salon presentations in 1986 and 1987 (when he also reduced his shoulder padding), his fashion shows were extravagant affairs held in arena-like environments and the collections associated with them had themes, sci-fi themes in the late seventies, celestial themes later, a 60s theme one season, an Africa theme another, a vampire-devil theme the next, and an aquatic theme the next, with ongoing creative motifs that would span multiple collections, like his late-eighties inclusion of garments and accessories modeled after the tailfins and chrome trim of 1950s U.S. automobiles, most recognizably 1959 Cadillacs.
In later years, Mugler’s vintage designs saw a significant resurgence among celebrities, including Lady Gaga in the music video for Telephone, and Cardi B who worked with Mugler, often wearing his vintage designs on red carpets and music videos, as well as mentioning the brand in the song Wild Side. His vintage designs are among the most coveted luxury vintage brands for Generation Z consumers, according to Teen Vogue. In 2019, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts launched the ‘Thierry Mugler: Couturissime’ exhibition dedicated to him.
Mugler was out gay and a longtime bodybuilder. Following his departure from fashion he became reclusive, went by his first name (Manfred) and began extensive bodybuilding. In 2019, he said “Thierry Mugler” was a label and a brand, and as such he wanted to move on to other things.
He had several accidents that changed his appearance. His nose was destroyed in a jeep crash. A motorcycle accident involved steel cables which saw Mugler have a piece of metal removed from his leg. In an interview with Interview magazine, Mugler stated, “I asked another surgeon if he could do some things to my chin, and then I was happy to get the bloody anesthesia. He actually took a piece of bone from my hip and put it on my chin, so I don’t have any plastic or silicone. It’s all bones. I wanted my face to represent progress, because after years of being a thin, charming dancer, I wanted to be a warrior. I’ve done so much in my life. I’ve fought so much. I’m a superhero, so it’s normal to have the face of one.”
Mugler died of natural causes at his residence in Vincennes, Paris, on January 23, 2022, at the age of 73.