Manfred Thierry Mugler (French pronunciation: [manfʁɛd tjɛʁi myɡlɛʁ]; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) 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.[1][2] 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.[3][4] In 2002, he retired from the brand, and returned in 2013 as the creative adviser.[5]
At the beginning of his career he designed signature looks for Michael Jackson,[6] Madonna,[7] Grace Jones,[8] David Bowie and Diana Ross; and 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.[9] While also launching the perfume Angel, which became one of the best-selling perfumes of the 20th century.[10][11] 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.[12][13]
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 had an extensive friendship with Mugler, often wearing his vintage designs on red carpets and music videos, as well as mentioning the brand in the song “Wild Side“.[14][15][16] He also designed costumes for Beyoncé‘s I Am… World Tour.[17][18] Thus making his brand one of the most coveted luxury vintage brands for Generation Z consumers, according to Teen Vogue.[19] In 2019, he created a one-off design for Kim Kardashian to wear to the Met Gala.[20][21] That same year the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) launched the ‘Thierry Mugler: Couturissime’ exhibition dedicated to him.[22] WIKI
