Thierry Mugler, the designer who reigned supreme in the 80s, dies

French designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, the iconic creator of the last two decades of the 20th century, has died unexpectedly at the age of 73, according to his eponymous brand on social media in the early hours of the morning.

Manfred Thierry Mugler, who reigned supreme in the fashion industry in the 1980s, died early this morning at the age of 73 after a long career in the fashion system marked by extravagant catwalk shows and fanciful collections, with structured and stylised silhouettes. The designer revolutionised the fashion scene with his iconic inverted triangle (giant shoulders and narrow waist).

“It is with deep sadness that the House of Mugler announces the death of Manfred Thierry Mugler. A visionary whose imagination as a couturier, perfumer and image-maker empowered people around the world to be more daring and dream more every day,” the brand’s Instagram account wrote alongside a photo of the designer in his youth.

His agent has stated that the death was due to natural causes, and that the designer still had projects and collaborations in the pipeline, some of which were to be announced this week. Mugler was a pioneer with his theatrical creations, robotic jumpsuits and daring dresses that seemed to recreate a sci-fi style. As well as being a fashion standout, in the 1990s he also made it big with his perfume “Angel”.

“I always thought that fashion on its own was insufficient and that it had to be shown in its musical and theatrical environment,” she once said. That is why he dressed stars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Lady Gaga, and helped to propel the careers of top models of the 1990s such as Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Linda Evangelista. He also collaborated with David Bowie, Iman and George Michael.

Born in Strasbourg in December 1948, Mugler belonged to the Opera du Rhin ballet company and studied at the School of Decorative Arts. From his youth he created his own clothes and when he moved to Paris at the age of 20 to work for a ballet company, he was also noted for his costumes. He worked as a stylist and in different brands, but it was not until 1973 that he created “Café de Paris” and a year later founded the brand “Thierry Mugler”.

The artist’s death coincides with Fashion Week in Paris, between the end of the menswear shows and the start of the Haute Couture shows. In recent years, Mugler had been the subject of a major retrospective exhibition of his work, which began in Montreal in 2019 and travelled to several countries, most recently Paris. In the same year, he also created Kim Kardashian’s iconic Met Gala outfit.

Ahora… ¿Por qué no le echas un vistazo a la última colección de NAMESAKE AW22/23?