Fashionista Thierry Mugler 1948-2022 – Obituary
Avante-garde, extravagant and figure-hugging - you could spot a Thierry Mugler outfit at a glance. The fashion icon's theatrical designs were loved by drag queens and entertainment royalty from Diana Ross and Lady Gaga to George Michael and David Bowie.
A ballet dancer turned bodybuilder, Mugler's creations accentuated curves to almost cartoon-like proportions, with corseted waists, thigh-skimming skirts and plunging necklines. He designed Kim Kardashian's "wet look" dress for the 2019 Met Gala, a figure-hugging number in flesh-coloured fabric adorned with crystals resembling water droplets.
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Around this time he started interior design training and began experimenting with clothes. "I had a medieval period, a Flash Gordon period, a superheroes period, a Renaissance period - but always very futuristic," he once said.
He created his first collection, Café de Paris, in 1973, and started freelancing for fashion houses, gaining attention for his architectural designs, noted for their tailoring and broad shoulders. In 1978 he opened his first Paris boutique.
A favourite of supermodels from Linda Evangelista to Cindy Crawford, Mugler was artistic director for Beyoncé's 2008 world tour, which launched her Sasha Fierce alter ego.
One of his most famous gowns was worn by Demi Moore in 1992 film Indecent Proposal.
The French designer came to fame in the 1980s and 1990s with catwalk shows akin to themed rock concerts and featuring transgender models. He underwent several facial reconstructive surgeries after his nose was destroyed in a car crash, and an accident in a gym dramatically changed his appearance.
He remained good-humoured, saying he wanted his face to reflect his "progress" over the years.
Manfred Thierry Mugler was born in Strasbourg.
His father was a doctor and his mother a devotee of fashion.
Unhappy at school and at home, where he felt unloved by his preoccupied parents, he found solace at a local cinema which showed classic films with glamorous actresses.
At the suggestion of a teacher he began classical dance training aged nine, and by 14 was a member of the ballet company for the Rhine National Opera.
Mugler retired from his brand in 2003 but re-emerged in the spotlight in 2019 to design that iconic Kardashian dress.
He died of natural causes.
Thierry Mugler, Born December 21, 1948 Died January 23, 2022
