Fashion is more than just an art form, it is an outlet. A product of something that you can’t seem to express. Designer, Manfred Thierry Mugler once said, “I made clothes because I was looking for something that didn’t
exist. I had to try to create my own world.” Way ahead of his time, Manfred Thierry Mugler constantly created and made designs that were not only groundbreaking but, opened doors fashion had never seen before. Unfortunately, it was announced via Mugler’s Instagram that the fashion trailblazer has passed away at the age of 73.
Before the Fame
In 1948, Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France. Always having admiration for art and fashion, it is said that he spent most of his time drawing and sketching. At nine years old, he began his journey with dance and at 14 he was training for the Rhin Opera. However, it was also during this time that he began his education at the interior design school, Strasbourg School of Decorative Art. Needless to say, Mugler had made up his mind about the direction he wanted his passion to go.
At age 24, he began to create designs for a brand named Gudule. At first, he was creating the pieces to be worn by women but, after some years he began to create for both men and women. A little after his time at Gudule, he began working as a freelance designer to large fashion houses in Paris, Milan, and more.
His Transition to Fame
Then in 1973, the unthinkable happened. Mugler curated his first collection called, Café de Paris; many described the collection as ‘urban chic’. The designs were so unique, they actually caught the attention of fashion editor, Melka Tréanton. Tréanton was so impressed that she pushed for Mugler to show off his pieces at a Shiseido event in Tokyo. From there, Mugler’s succession was on a fast track. In 1978, he opened his own boutique and afterward launched a collection for men.
With word spreading about Mugler’s success and original designs, he quickly began making a name for himself in fashion. He was dominating the 80s and 90s, creating clothes that always outdid themselves. Though at times, some of his pieces were quite bizarre due to their avant-garde look, they were also very beautiful. From the way he stitched to the over-exaggerated alterations in the clothing, each piece was created with ample thought and effort contributed. The most unique part about Mugler’s designs was that no piece was ever the same as the last.
Despite the camp and future Met Gala looks, Mugler created clothing that helped women embrace their inner sexy. Actually, if anyone is a fan of the movie, Indecent Proposal, the black dress that Demi Moore wowed us in was made by Mugler. From the runway to Hollywood, no one could resist Mugler. In fact, his designs were so fresh and new, that Chamber Syndicale de la Haute Couture asked him to create a couture line. And in 1992, he did just that.
More than Fashion
Although Mugler had an undying love for fashion, he was involved in many other things as well. Besides his collections, other popular items of his were his perfumes Angel, Angel Men, Alien, Mirror Mirror, and Womanity. He also published books and short films, he created costumes for many theatre productions, he collaborated with George Michael and Cirque de Soleil; he was a jack of all trades. However, after being in the spotlight, he retired in 2002 and focused on a career in bodybuilding.
In 2013, he returned to his roots and became a creative advisor to Mugler. Since then, we have seen celebrities such as Beyonce, Cardi B, Alexa Demie, Kim Kardashian, and many others spotlight his beautiful work. Mugler’s work will forever be looked upon as inspiring and one of a kind.
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