Top 10 Facts about Thierry Mugler

Manfred Thierry Mugler Photo sourced from Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Thierry Mugler

Manfred Thierry Mugler known mostly as Thierry Mugler by many was a French fashion designer, a creative director and a creative adviser of Mugler brand . In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the following decades for his avant-garde, architectural, hyperfeminine and theatrical approach to haute couture.

He was one of the very few first designers to champion diversity in his runway shows, which often tackled racism and ageism, and incorporated non-traditional models such as drag queens, pornstars, and transgender women. Let’s take a look at some of the top facts about this great champion;

1.He was born on December 21, 1948 in Strasbourg, France

Thierry Mugler was born on December 21, 1948 in Strasbourg, France. His father was a doctor, while the designer described his mother as “the most elegant woman in their town.” As a child, he spent his time making costumes, writing dramas and watching films. He was so good in it even at that young age and could end up becoming a fashion designer. 

He attended the School of Fine Arts in Strasbourg and began to study classic dance at the age of 9, joining the ballet corps for the Rhin Opera (Opéra national du Rhin) at the age of 14. As a teenager, he also began formal interior design training at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts. 

2.Mugler started his career designing for the London boutiques Mr. Freedom and Mother Wouldn’t Like It

An evening dress by Thierry Mugler at the Indianapolis Museum of Art Photo sourced from Wikimedia

Mugler started his career, designing for the London boutiques Mr. Freedom and Mother Wouldn’t Like It in the 1960s. In 1971, he began designing clothes for Karim, already showing the broad-shouldered, 1940s-derived looks he would become renowned for in his future career and life.

In 1972, his full-skirted raincoat became a hit and at the age of 24, he decided to move to Paris and began designing clothes for Gudule, a Parisian boutique. At 26, he began to design for a variety of large ready-to-wear fashion houses in Paris, Milan, London and Barcelona. He had began making a big name for himself and his designs were some of the best by this time. 

3.Mugler had several accidents that changed his appearance

Manfred Thierry Mugler Photo sourced from Wikimedia

Mugler had several accidents over the years and underwent several surgeries that forever changed his appearance.This accidents include; When his nose was destroyed in a jeep crash and a motorcycle accident involved steel cables which saw Mugler have a piece of metal removed from his leg.

In an interview with Interview magazine, Mugler stated, “I asked another surgeon if he could do some things to my chin, and then I was happy to get the bloody anesthesia. He actually took a piece of bone from my hip and put it on my chin, so I don’t have any plastic or silicone. It’s all bones. I wanted my face to represent progress, because after years of being a thin, charming dancer, I wanted to be a warrior. 

4.Mugler was also into writing and directing shirt films

Mugler was also into writing and directing shirt films, he published his first photography book in 1988, Thierry Mugler: Photographer and later published a monograph in 1999, titled Fashion Fetish Fantasy, which assembles photos of his creations over the years. This in turn also made his name among the best with most of those creations becoming hits. 

Mugler was also into directing and directed short films, advertising films and video clips. He regularly designed costumes for musical comedies, concerts, operas and the theatre (including Macbeth for the Comédie Française). He worked with Robert Altman and George Michael (he directed the video for Michael’s “Too Funky” in 1992). He also directed the first advertising film for one of his fragrances, Alien.

5.He shifted his priorities to perfume,photography and body building

After a career in designing which lasted for over 30 years, Mugler decided to call it quits and retired from fashion in 2003 and began going by his first name Manfred. He announced that he would shift his priorities to perfume, photography and extensive bodybuilding.Mugler’s fashion house went under the direction of Nicola Formichetti, who styled plenty of A-list celebrities as its artistic director including Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Rihanna and more

When asked about the subject, he said: “Fashion is beautiful, 3-D art on a human being. But it wasn’t enough, which is why I went on to create in other ways. For me, it wasn’t the right tool anymore. But perfume still interests me.” His move to the perfume industry brought him a big deal as he became a brand again with the profits he earned from perfume. In 2010, Formichetti changed the brand name to MUGLER, removing the first name.

6.Mugler also owned a perfume company

Mugler also owned a perfume company, launching his first perfume collection in 1992 and it has since become his main focus until his demise. His first majorly known fragrance was Angel.Starting with one for female known as Angel which came in a bottle in the shape of a faceted star. In 1996, Mugler followed up Angel with a male version named Angel Men or A*Men. 

He then jumped off of that and launched another brand named Alien in 2005. His scents can be found at major department and makeup stores including Macy’s and Sephora and bring in a net of around $280 million in sales annually, which makes them among the best brands in the world when it comes to profit and service to the people who use it. 

7.He has worked with a host of celebrities who have used his designs in different ways

Thierry Mugler retrospective at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 2019 Photo sourced from Wikimedia

Another important fact about him his that before his demise he worked with several celebrities in different ways including; Lady Gaga in the music video for “Telephone”, and Cardi B who worked with Mugler, often wearing his vintage designs on red carpets and music videos, as well as mentioning the brand in the song “Wild Side

He has also worked with Beyonce, Michael Jackson,Madonna,Grace Jones,David Bowie and Diana Ross; most notably Demi Moore’s dress from the 1993 movie Indecent Proposal, which was once coined “the most famous dress of the 1990s”. In 1992, he also directed and designed the outfits for George Michael’s “Too Funky” music video. 

8.He came out of retirement to design Kim Kardashian’s 2019 MET Gala look

Despite retiring from his brand in 2003,one A-list star was able to convince him to come out of retirement. He designed Kim Kardashian’s iconic sheer sexy dress that dripped with jewels for the 2019 MET Gala. He made the exception to design under his name “House of Mugler” for the Met Gala in 2019 and for Kim Kardashian.

Getting his inspiration from Sophia Loren in the film Boy on a Dolphin, Mugler envisioned a wet California girl; hence the creation of the “wet couture dress” It was the first time in 20 years that he designed using his former brand the “the house of Mugler”, which make Kim Kardashian a gem because she must have hold a special place in his heart to get him out of retirement. 

9.Mugler’s net worth was around $20 million before his demise

Mugler’s net worth was around $20 million before his death. He made most of his wealth from his perfume company, along with the tens of millions of dollars he made from his MUGLER brand and frangrances like Angel and Alien, Thierry Mugler’s net worth also included what he made from designing looks for stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Grace Jones, David Bowie and Diana Ross throughout his career.

Mugler also directed and designed the outfit for George Michael’s “Too Funky” music video in 1992, as well as the looks for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s 2009 music video for the song “Telephone.” He also earned from commercial deals which made him one of the richest persons from his country before the hands of death took him away. 

10.He died aged 73 in his home in 2022

Thierry Mugler, the outrageous, genre-busting French designer who dominated European runways in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died on Sunday January 23,2022 at his home in Vincennes, outside Paris. He was 73. His death came from natural causes according to a statement from his management team. 

News broke on his Instagram, which announced his death with a black square and a message in English and French. “We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday January 23rd 2022,” the caption read. “May his soul Rest In Peace.” While the statement did not reveal Thierry Mugler’s cause of death, his agent confirmed that he died of “natural causes.”