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Vale Thierry Mugler by Liz Clift
Vale Thierry Mugler
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BY LIZ CLIFT
ADIEU TO FASHION MOGUL MANFRED THIERRY MUGLER 1948-2022. HE WAS A DEFINING FORCE IN THE WORLD OF FASHION. A VISIONARY WHOSE IMAGINATION EMPOWERED PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO BE BOLDER AND DREAM.
I was thrilled to be invited by my friend Liz Parsons to his 20th anniversary show in 1995 at Cirque d’Hiver in Paris; a spectacular event with Verushka, Tippi Hedron, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jerry Hall, Carmen Dell’Orefice to name a few of the A-list models.
James Brown sang while male dancers in g-strings gyrated on podiums. Liz and I were invited to his private party that evening at a night club and we were out-numbered by men in latex and “trimmings”. After selling his brand name Thierry Mugler to Clarins in 2002 he reverted to his birth name Manfred, only to return to design the internet-breaking outfit for Kim Kardashian West for the 2019 Met Gala. The extravagant, bodyhugging ensemble consisted of latex and crystals suspended like water droplets, completed by a wet-look hairstyle and slick skin to embody the ultimate mermaid. house in two decades and took months to create. It joins the many thousands of magnificent Mugler gowns and designs from a career that embodied art, whimsy, fantasy and science fiction. “Fashion is a movie. Every morning when you get dressed, you direct yourself,” so stated Thierry Mugler himself.
Born in Strasbourg, France in 1948, Thierry Mugler had an astonishing career; ballet dancer, photographer, fashion designer, artistic director for the stage and MTV videos, parfumier and stylist to the stars. His sense of fashion engineering has thrilled and surprised the fashion world at every turn and his diversity is legendary. In 1973 he created his first personal collection “Café de Paris” which was both urban and sophisticated. A powerful fashion editor Melka Treanton helped to launch his career. In 1976 she asked him to do a show in Tokyo for an event organised by Shiseido. He became a name to watch.
Thierry opened his first boutique at the Place des Victoires in the 1er Arrondissement at the same time as launching his men’s collection, favoured by celebrities and performers, including David Bowie. At the request of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture he completed his first haute couture collection in 1992. Also that year, he launched his perfume “Angel”. He created the music video for George Michael`s “Too Funky” and designed the wardrobe for “Macbeth” for the Comedie Francaise. In 2009 he was the artistic director for Beyonce’s “I Am World Tour” and designed her costumes. He filled his runways with an eclectic mix of stars and models , among them Cyd Charisse, Diana Ross, Sharon Stone, Ivana Trump – in Mugler`s words “personalities who know and accept who they are and fashion themselves accordingly”. At his 20th anniversary show at Cirque d’Hiver in Paris in 1995, Mugler created a monolithic white set consisting of two runways connected by a spiral staircase with the star-shaped logo of his best-selling perfume Angel as a backdrop. Mugler showed an unprecedented 300 looks on a diverse line-up of models from every era, including legends like Carmen Dell'Orefice, Veruschka and his muse Jerry Hall alongside Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova and Kate Moss. The cast also included some of his favourite actresses, while socialite Patty Hearst did a striptease. He showed beauty through the ages, from masterfully cut catsuits, glamorous evening gowns to a futuristic gold bodysuit. The show culminated with a performance by James Brown as confetti rained down on near naked male go-go dances gyrating on pedestals. I immediately raced to Place des Victoires and stocked my wardrobe. How could you not? The man was the most innovative designer on the planet. Mugler stepped away from his label in 2002 to concentrate on creative directing projects. His visionary excellence has been embraced by a new generation of pop stars and designers who he has influenced with his mastery of design, Alexander McQueen to name one of many. I visited his first major museum retrospective “Thierry Mugler: Couturissime” in Rotterdam Holland. The tour which started in Montreal examines his visions for “metamorphoses, superheroines and cyborgs”. His exhibition showcases 150 of his dramatic ensembles. Designed between 1977 and 2014, the pieces demonstrate the creative prowess of the house of Thierry Mugler, which is credited with revolutionising the fashion industry, and particularly haute couture, with his theatrical designs. I was entranced with his comprehensive retrospective of his work, aligning garments, accessories and costumes together with video, photography and archival sketches. The exhibition conveyed the masterful creations of a fashion genius.
Rest In Peace Manfred Thierry Mugler.
BY LIZ CLIFT
