Thierry Mugler, who died on January 23 at the age of 73, had a destiny that only the world of fashion can create. An unparalleled life trajectory, which saw a man draw a new identity for himself, in the same way that he imagined new shapes with clothes.
From his beginnings in Paris in the 1970s, until his death, Thierry Mugler will have intrigued an environment that has looked at him alternately as an enfant terrible, a prodigy with a steely gaze, a Midas transforming his sketches into perfumes. with astronomical turnover. Then a somewhat dated, even outdated name.
Reinvention, therefore. Moreover, the desire of a shy man, born on December 21, 1948 in Strasbourg in a bourgeois environment. Thierry Mugler escapes from illustrated magazines, and what are then called “varieties”. As a teenager, he joined the ballets of the Opéra du Rhin, and discovered what discipline and hard work can do to body and mind. At 20, he arrived in Paris. Homosexuality can only be lived in secret, if not in the bars on rue Sainte-Anne, of which he becomes a regular. He meets fashion personalities there. At the dawn of the 1970s, this world was on the threshold of upheaval. Cristobal Balenciaga has retired, Christian Dior is dead, Coco Chanel, who will die in 1971, repeats himself, the Saint Laurent genius is eaten away by his demons. A squall is expected, and he will be one of the actors, alongside ready-to-wear designers like Kenzo or Jean Paul Gaultier…
“The character of a movie”
In 1973, he founded a brand, Café de Paris, and the following year the house in his name. If he is unknown, he is already an extraordinary character. Jean-Jacques Picart, who would become his press attaché before becoming one of the finest connoisseurs of the industry, remembers that he “was the character of a film that he played in his head, in his heart, and that he interpreted. » Thierry Mugler walks his pixie figure through the streets of Paris, dressed in hero capes and imitation space suits. He feeds on tarts in prominent brasseries, and he lives, the whimsical character, in a completely bare apartment, like that of a Zen monk.
But it is in his work that he caused a sensation. It summons the film noir of the 1940s, the uniforms of space conquest and an icy aesthetic. At the end of the 1970s, he imposed suits with disproportionate shoulders, as if sculpted by laser. Thanks to this exacerbated femininity, and to his stagings that look like shows that make the purring salons of couture outdated, he becomes a sensation. Her shop, place des Victoires, is designed by designer Andrée Putman.
One of his feats of arms will be through his friend Jack Lang. Inspired by the traditional costume of Indian men (and not Mao collars as the media will remember), he designs a costume that he offers to her. The Minister of Culture takes it to the National Assembly and to the Council of Ministers. Jack Lang still remembers the astonished reactions of the audience and “amused benevolence” of President Mitterrand during this episode which has remained famous in French popular culture.
The shy young man has muscled up, wrapped himself in leather outfits, and surrounded himself with the most sensational models of the time. At that time, the turbulent Parisian designers were preparing to become golden boys by launching perfumes with worldwide success. In short, to move from the small universe of luxury boutiques to shopping malls of the whole world. In 1992, Thierry Mugler launched Angel, a fragrance that clashed with its sweet flavors of praline and chocolate combined with patchouli and its star-shaped blue bottle. This immense commercial success enabled Mugler to launch a haute couture line – in addition to ready-to-wear. A system still in force was then put in place: one where couture, eminently luxurious, served as a showcase for the accessible world of perfume.
The 1990s, the years of success
The 1990s were therefore those of success, but also heralded a turning point in Mugler’s career: he gradually withdrew from the world. In 1997, his house was bought by the cosmetics group Clarins. Five years later, while she is accusing several million euros of losses, he announces that he will no longer draw a collection. The 2000s, when fashion became a business structured by large competing luxury groups, were no longer fertile ground for Thierry Mugler, who then turned to his first love, entertainment. If Mugler disappears physically, his influence nevertheless continues to be felt in fashion: it is the era of porno-chic with Tom Ford at Gucci and the ultra-sophisticated silhouettes of John Galliano at Dior.
Far from the catwalks, Mugler collaborates for his part with the Cirque du Soleil, in particular on Zumanity, an erotic creation presented in Las Vegas, for which he designs the costumes. In 2003, he was artistic advisor to Beyoncé for her “I Am… World Tour”. From 2013, he produced under the name of “Manfred Thierry Mugler” shows revisiting the genre of the music-hall revue: Mugler Follies in Paris and The Wyld in Berlin. This reconversion is accompanied by a striking physical transfiguration.
While he disappeared from radar, a photo of him (naked) leaked in 2010: we discover him body-built and tattooed, his face unrecognizable with his crushed nose and botoxed lips. In the press, he declares having resorted to cosmetic surgery in order to no longer be recognized. He also talks regarding his new lifestyle as a particularly strict athlete, without alcohol, salt or sugar, with a lot of yoga and stretching.
Even today, the fate of Mugler never ceases to fascinate. The “Thierry Mugler, Couturissime” exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris has already attracted more than 220,000 visitors since its inauguration on September 30, 2021. A public of all ages and all origins, some finding spirit of a bygone era, others, younger, marveling that silhouettes of several decades “walk” both on social media.
Olivier Gabet, director of the Museum, explains this success by the fact that Thierry Mugler, “perfume creator, remarkable photographer, incredible choreographer and performer himself (…) made fashion a total art by exploring all the possibilities offered by this field ». The businessman Didier Grumbach, former president of the French Federation of Couture and president of the Mugler company from 1978 to 1998, believes that what “will remain of him, it is the fact of never having betrayed the silhouette of his dreams. »
According to his agent Jean-Baptiste Rougeot, death “natural” by Thierry Mugler came regarding unexpectedly. The great couturier still had projects and was to announce new collaborations at the start of the week. “He may have been heartbroken following all he put his body through”, supposes Jean-Jacques Picart, who has always remained close to him. For Jean-Paul Gaultier, “He’s gone to makeover the angels and demons up there!” The sky was his color.
Thierry Mugler in 5 dates
December 21, 1948 Born in Strasbourg
1973 First “Café de Paris” collection
1992 Launch of haute couture and the “Angel” perfume
2002 Retires from his brand and devotes himself to the show
January 23, 2022 Dead