French fashion designer Thierry Mugler is dead. His agent Jean-Baptiste Rougeot said he died unexpectedly at the age of 73. The designer, who had a strong influence on fashion in the 80s and also created perfumes, wanted to announce new collaborations this week. “We are devastated to announce the death of Mr. Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday 23 January 2022,” the designer’s official Facebook page said in a statement. “May his soul rest in peace.”
Thierry Mugler was born in Strasbourg in December 1948. At the age of 14 he was accepted into the ballet company of the Opéra national du Rhin and then attended the arts school in the Alsatian city. Even back then, he was already tailoring his first designs from items of clothing from the flea market.
At the age of 20 Mugler came to Paris, where he first worked as a ballet dancer. He then set up his own business as a designer, working for various fashion houses in Paris, London and Milan. In 1973 he founded his own label “Café de Paris” before founding the company “Thierry Mugler” a year later.
Thierry Mugler shaped the fashion of the 80s
His extravagant designs shaped the fashion of the 80s. Top models like Jerry Hall followed the “Mugler woman” look, with huge padded shoulders, a narrow waist, and a plunging neckline. Mugler was also a pioneer in staging large-scale fashion shows in front of thousands of spectators. The designer controlled everything from the props to the soundtrack.
His first perfume for women, “Angel”, launched in 1992, was a great success and even challenged Chanel’s legendary N°5 for first place in the sales charts. In 1997, the cosmetics group Clarins took over the trademark rights.
In 2002, Mugler retired from the fashion business. He changed his appearance through intensive bodybuilding and numerous cosmetic surgeries and henceforth called himself Manfred instead of Thierry.
Mugler was also active as a photographer and writer. He also designed stage outfits for Beyoncé and costumes for Cirque du Soleil. In 2013 and 2014, Mugler staged his own revues in Paris and Berlin. Last year he appeared as a guest judge in Heidi Klum’s “Germany’s next top model” casting show.
A major exhibition on his life’s work is currently on view at the “Musée des Arts Décoratifs” in Paris. “Thierry Mugler, Couturissime” runs until April 24th.