The Most Iconic Thierry Mugler Designs Through The Ages

Alfred Thierry Mugler, a visionary French designer who shaped fashion in the 1980s and created some of the most iconic looks of the past decade, has unfortunately passed away at the age of 73.

Much more than just a name on a perfume bottle, the French-born designer and “enfant terrible” was, for a tremendous amount of time during his career, one of the most influential designers in the world and helped to define two decades of fashion—and beyond.

The Life of Thierry Mogler

Considered a “man of the future,” Thierry Mugler transformed ordinary women and supermodels alike into otherworldly and astonishing creatures with the help of PVC and a penchant for showmanship. He created whimsical and, quite often, erotic clothing fantasies—and women regularly became space-age vixens in his designs.

Mugler was born in 1948 in Strasbourg (France) and began his training in theatrics at the age of nine. He then took up ballet at the age of nine and joined the National Rhine Opera when he was 14.

After a period of studying interior design at The Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts, Mugler moved to Paris, where he worked freelance for various fashion designers. In his twenties, Mugler had created his first collection.

It was 1973 and he called it “Café de Paris,” which played on the popular wide-shouldered silhouettes of the time but adding a youthful, urban twist much like his contemporaries Claude Montana and Azzedine Alaia.

In 1978, he opened his first boutique in Paris and he subsequently worked hard throughout the ’80s to build his empire. Acquiring an army of exalting supermodel and celebrity supporters including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, George Michael and even RuPaul, by the 1990s Mugler was sold across the globe from Browns in London to Saks on Fifth Avenue, and in 1992, he created his first ever haute couture collection as per the request of France’s Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

The designer combined elements of science fiction with the popular cuts and shapes of the time—look out for the archetypal broad shoulders and modish cinched waists of the 1980s being given a “Mugler twist” by being recreated in fabrics resembling scales and swatches of latex.

Mugler resigned from his eponymous label, but continued to create costumes and sets for people like Cirque du Soleil and Beyoncé’s I am… World tour. He famously retired to dress Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala in 2019. That wet-look piece, and helped make fashion history by dressing Cardi B in three archival looks for the Grammy’s—where she became the first woman ever to win the award for Best Rap Album.

The designer was also the subject in a major retrospective exhibition, Thierry Mugler: Couturissime, at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

We take a look at Mugler’s remarkable archives to honor his extraordinary creativity, unique vision, and extraordinary skill.

Thierry Mugler’s Most Iconic Design of All Time

The Wet Dress, 2019.

Thierry Mugler retired to create the iconic Wet Dress, worn by Kim Kardashian at the 2019 Met Gala. The piece marked Mugler’s first design for his namesake fashion house in 20 years–and took an incredible eight months to make.

Autumn/Winter 1997

The audience was stunned by Mugler’s Autumn/Winter 1997 show, when he displayed a woman who looked inhuman and somewhat beastly.

Her striking gaze was enhanced with yellow, serpent-like contacts and her body was sculpted by another remarkable Mr Pearl corset. “This was sort of a combination of fish, bird and beast. It was the most difficult project. It took six weeks to complete, working 24 hours per day. So it’s 12 weeks, in fact. There was a night shift and a dayshift. We were 20 people,” said Mr Pearl to Dazed2016

Autumn/Winter 1995

Was this the original “naked dress”? Claudia Schiffer is seen in this iconic look from Mugler’s archives wearing a sheer mesh gown dripping in crystals and topped off with major diamond jewels. She also has hair in the shape of a rose and a glamorous, larger than life white fur stole.

Autumn/Winter 1995

Mugler was never one to shy away from making a bold, and often scandalous, statement with his couture designs—as exemplified by this daring dress which he sent down the runway in 1995, which contrasts a classically elegant silhouette and pearls with a cheeky cut-out.

Spring/Summer 1995 Venus Dress

Inspired by Italian Renaissance artist Botticelli’s The Birth of VenusSimonetta Gianfelici, model, exploded out of her shell in this stunning gown. Adorned with pearls and tucked into a shell of pink satin Mugler’s gown had critics’ opinions divided and wowed the audience once again at his enthralling 20th anniversary show. Cardi B wore the exact same piece at the Grammy’s 2019.

Robot Woman Spring/Summer 1995

For his Autumn/Winter 1995 show, Mugler presented his 20th anniversary “Cirque d’Hiver” collection which was a glorious celebration of the wonderful world of Mugler. This look made Mugler one of the most iconoclastic designer of all time. Featured in That Nick Knight iconic photo with Kristen McMenamy, and even more recently, the space-age outfit was worn by Cara Delevingne for the cover of GQ. It’s still as popular as ever.

Spring/Summer 1992 Red Cowgirl

“All of his theatrical pieces can actually be ordered if you’re willing to pay the price,” wrote the press of Mugler’s 1992 Western inspired collection. Models were dressed in leather chaps and matching cowboy hats, and wore bedazzled leather bustiers. Not one to shy away from theatrics, it’s Mugler at his best.

Spring/Summer 1992 Motorcycle Coset

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic pieces of the designer’s full oeuvre is the Harley Davidson corset he created for his spring/summer 1992 collection, which transformed woman into machine. In collaboration with renowned corset maker Mr Pearl, Mugler created one his most theatrical pieces which you may recognize from Beyoncé’s I Am…In 2009, the world tour was rescheduled. It was seeing this piece at the Met’s Superheroes exhibition the singer decided she had to collaborate with the designer.

Autumn/Winter 1982-83

Drama and extravagance was Thierry Mugler’s signature–and the moment when model Inès de La Fressange walked down the runway in head-to-toe white fur with two matching poodles will forever go down as one of the most fabulous in fashion history.