Style Points is a weekly column on how fashion intersects with the rest of the world.
Manfred Thierry Mugler transformed women into race cars for his 1989 “Buick” collection. His models wore supermodel silhouettes that were reminiscent of high-design 1950’s automobiles. They strutted in their hubcap bra cups with fender peplums. They shared the tough-edged look of Tamara de Lempicka’s women, with their chrome finishes and knowing sneers. In an attempt to humanize the machines, the cars of the era were modeled after female curves. Now Mugler was reverse engineering this equation. That show might have been the ultimate expression of his vision—the female body celebrated and transformed into something both slickly commercial and dreamily conceptual.
The late 80’s and early 1990’s were a time of extreme runway theatre and body consciousness. The Venn diagram between these two was the life of the French designer, who died yesterday at the age of 73. He was not subtle in any sense of that word. His designs were a combination of Old Hollywood, Sci-Fi, and Surrealism. He loved a larger-than-life, impossibly glamorous woman—Naomi Campbell, Jerry Hall, and Iman populated his shows—and delighted in dressing boundary-pushing pop icons from Diana Ross to Madonna. His shows turned women into insects and motorcycles, or turned them into archetypes, such as angels and androids.
Even as fashion began its mid-’90’s shift into coolly understated minimalism, complete with interchangeable-looking models who’d rather shuffle down a catwalk than vamp along it, his approach remained as heightened and exaggerated as his famously intoxicating Angel perfume. His sartorial offerings included a wide range of styles, including a towering waist, exoskeleton-like metallic bustiers and dorsal clearavage that would make McQueen look like he was a tame bumster. Too much was never enough. It’s no exaggeration that he was the one responsible for all the outrageous celebrity and pop-star fashion statements that have been made since then.
Mugler’s collection of vintage treasures remained an inspiration source, even after he retired from the label in 2001. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Cardi B could have stepped out in any modern-day designer they chose, but they chose Mugler’s 1980’s and 1990’s looks. They were the Botticelli-inspired Venus dress, and an NC-17 re-creation of the creation he made in his Demi Moore gown. Proposal with Indecent Content. (Mugler also came out from semi-retirement to make a pearlescent, wet-look gown that Kardashian could wear to the Met Gala. These enduring pieces were not the only mark he left on fashion. The house that bears his initials continues to be a home for a new generation, including Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa, who continue to carry on that proudly OTT legacy.
Source: elle
