The Mugler Movement
Image Courtesy: Vogue
Picasso is to art, as Mugler is to fashion. A true visionary, Manfred Thierry Mugler cemented himself in the fashion industry with his surreal, imaginative, and ambitious designs that are easily recognized by their unique qualities around the world. The tragic passing of this legendary designer has brought up many discussions about some of his most iconic looks and his impact on fashion which continues today. The Mugler movement is the legacy that Mugler leaves behind. He was always ahead of his time, thinking of magnificent ways to show all different types of people and creating designs that no one else would dare to think of. He always has and always will influence fashion and pop culture; truly a man of the future.
There are many defining traits of a Mugler design; many of which have been reproduced and used in nuanced ways throughout his career. There is an organic nature about his designs, as if they have come to life. With broad shoulders and tiny waists, organic forms and otherworldly nature, it certainly isn’t hard to declare Mugler as the fashion of the future. Thierry Mugler was infatuated with the human body, so he looked to display it in new ways–perhaps combined with a motorcycle or even as a blossoming flower. Most of the time, when speaking of this house of fashion, we speak of the designs as art rather than as clothing; words like perspective, value, symmetry, and shadow all come to mind when looking through these shows.
Mugler was always an artist though. He studied at different fine arts academies throughout Europe and worked for designers simultaneously while also performing as a dancer with the Rhine Opera Ballet. He showed his very first ready-to-wear collection in 1973, and after many years of dealing with investors, he bought out his own company and became a global icon with his first couture show in 1992 and the release of his perfume ‘Angel’. "Two of Mugler's most iconic designs were born from the 1992 couture show: the red cowgirl and the motorcycle corset. The latter of which was seen on Beyonce in her cover shoot for "I am... Sasha Fierce".
Three years later, Mugler had an enormous year in terms of fashion. The 1995 Mugler Fall Collection went on to become one of the most recognizable shows in all of fashion history. This line included a range of designs from ‘the Birth of Venus’﹘which was later seen on Cardi B at the 2019 Grammy Awards﹘ to a cyborg-esque space suit, to a dazzling red feather ensemble.
Mugler went on to have a huge career in the 90s, collaborating with many celebrities in his runway shows and building his fashion empire but, in 2004, Mugler announced that he would no longer be producing couture or ready-to-wear lines. This didn’t stop him from remaining relevant within the fashion world and even coming out of retirement to produce many iconic costumes that you may be familiar with such as…
Kim Catrall as Samantha Jones in a stunning yellow Mugler blazer for ‘Sex and the City: the Movie’ (2008). Beyoncé was seen here in Mugler once again, when Thierry Mugler came out of retirement to design custom outfits for her ‘I am… world tour’ in 2009. Lady Gaga served mystery in this vintage design for her ‘Telephone’ music video in 2009, and Thierry Mugler came out of retirement once again in 2019 to design a custom outfit for Kim Kardashian’s dripping wet look at the 2019 MET gala.
When it was announced on January 23rd that Manfred Thierry Mugler had passed, many celebrities that he had worked with shared their condolences. Kim Kardashian herself shared a moving homage to the visionary on her instagram stating: “There was so much more for you to show the world and that we had planned to do together, but you already gave us so much. I will never forget our time together around the world and learning from the master himself on what couture really meant! You always said beauty will save the world - and you really believed it was a better place because of the beauty all around!” Kim shared how Mugler saw the world, and how important it is to continue seeing the beauty in everything as a way to honor the Master of couture.
He was able to introduce a new way of storytelling into this ever-changing world of fashion and
Although he may no longer be with us, we know that his passion and stellar looks will live on in the fashion world.
The Mugler movement shall live on forever.
Strike Out,
Writer: Nicholas Flood
Editor: Madeline Gonzalez and Peyton Boudreaux
Orlando