“Fashion is not enough‚” visionary French couturier Thierry
Mugler declared at the height of his career. “I am trying to
convey sensations and feelings…I am always telling stories.”
In Thierry Mugler: Galaxy Glamour French journalist Daniele
Bott takes us on an aesthetic adventure through the life of the
designer she describes as “a super
hero. A fairytale prince‚ a tightrope
walker‚ an acrobat‚ a madman‚ a
tease.”
look of the 1980s. Mugler’s couture was for the demanding
and commanding woman—a woman who‚ shameless in
her sex appeal‚ knew what she wanted and knew how to
use what she had. Thus‚ he preferred models who appeared
more statuesque than mere mortals‚ and‚ at the height of The
Supermodel era‚ he celebrated
them: Cindy‚ Naomi‚ Linda. His
clothes were for the Wonder
Woman we all wished we could be.
The sleek anthology of sketches and
photographs showcases Mugler’s
fantastical runway shows and
elaborate ensembles: structured‚
tailored suits with raised seams
and pointy-shoulders‚ mermaid-like gowns covered in gold scales‚
rhinestones‚ feathers and horsehair‚
satin cocoon capes‚ magnificent
headdresses‚ masks and robotic cat
suits made of metal and Plexiglas
(and Niki Taylor in one that looks like
the front of a motorcycle).
Mugler‚ who founded his fashion house in 1973‚ said‚ “Every
woman has a goddess inside of her. I love to glorify her‚” and
he did so by heartily embracing and exaggerating the female
form. With wide‚ padded shoulders‚ Barbie-like waistlines‚
and endless legs‚ his signature style became the defining
His legendary runways shows— highly stylized futuristic spectacles —exemplified fashion as theatre. Mugler saw himself as a director first‚ and‚ as Bott describes‚ “Not a detail‚ not a pose‚ not a bend of the legs escaped his control.” Inspired by themes as varied as robots‚ film noir‚ fetish‚ space‚ sci-fi‚ Atlantis and the insect kingdom‚ his productions often cost millions and included effects as flamboyant as replicating the rumbling of an
earthquake.
Mugler says‚ “There will always be a need for extraordinary
clothes‚ for exceptional poetry.” This collection by Bott is
a celebration of just that n Lilibet Snellings, Thierry Mugler:
Galaxy Glamour written by Daniele Bott‚ Thames & Hudson
thamesandhudsonusa.com
