Less than a week after the fashion world farewelled journalist and sartorial trailblazer André Leon Talley, the industry has lost another great, Manfred Thierry Mugler. The French couturier passed away on Sunday 23rd January 2022, aged 73. According to his agent, Muger died of “natural causes.”
The news was conveyed via a statement from the designer’s Instagram page, accompanied by a black square. “We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr. Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday, January 23 2022,” the caption states. “May his soul Rest In Peace.”
Born in Strasbourg, France in 1948, Mugler started his eponymous brand Thierry Mugler in 1973, after moving to Paris and gaining experience working with Parisian boutique, Gudule, as well as several ready-to-wear fashion houses across Europe. Muger spent three decades at the helm of his brand, carving out a name for himself through his distinctive avant-garde styles that placed the female form at their forefront, either by highlighting its beauty or radically transforming it. A former dancer, Muger created pieces that didn’t sacrifice ease-of-movement for avant-garde design, even designing a fantastical costume collection for the Cirque du Soleil in 2003.
A notable Thierry Mugler collection is undoubtedly the 1995 Cirque d’Hiver show, which exemplified haute couture at its finest. An hour long show, Cirque d’Hiver displayed a blockbuster 300 looks, ranging from the impeccably feminine cut-out suits for which Mugler has become known and then-rare bedazzled ‘naked dresses’ to sculptural taffeta hoop skirts and a futuristic full-metal gold bodysuit.
In addition to fashion, Mugler also released several fragrances, starting with the 1992 scent Angel, a praline and chocolate gourmand fragrance that counted Hillary Clinton, Diana Ross, and Eva Mendes as fans. Angel was followed by a male counterpart (Angel Men), before Alien in 2005. To this day, Angel and Alien are estimated to produce $280,000,000 USD in sales annually. Recent fragrance releases include Angel Muse in 2015 and Angel Nova in 2020.
Although Mugler retired from his self-titled brand in 2002, his designs have regained their notoriety of late. Over the past few years, celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Cardi B have showcased the timelessness of Mugler’s designs. Mugler came out of retirement to design a custom dress for Kardashian to wear at the 2019 Met Gala, while Cardi B donned one of his most memorable pieces for the 2019 Grammy Awards: the 1992 ‘Birth of Venus’ dress.
“Manfred, I am so honored to have known you and to work within your beautiful world,” wrote Casey Cadwallader, the current creative director of Mugler, in an Instagram post. “You changed our perception of beauty, of confidence, of representation, and self empowerment. Your legacy is something I carry with me in everything I do. Thank you.”
Words by T. Angel
