BILLIons LUxURY MaGazInE - FASHION u
Much more than just a name on a perfume bottle , Manfred Thierry Mugler was one of the most influential designers in the world defining two decades of power dressing with a perchance for turning celebrities and models into space-age vixens .
Born in 1948 in Strasbourg , France , his signature look can be defined by silhouettes with nipped in waits and giant shoulders combing elements of science fiction with the popular cuts and shapes of the time . He loved latex , leather and was never afraid to shock .
His career began in the 1970 ’ s , when after working as a freelancer designing clothes for Parisian boutique , Gudule he created his first personal collection called “ Café de Paris ”. The style of the collection was both sophisticated and urban focusing on what would become his signature look of nipped in waists .
In 1978 , he opened his first Paris boutique at the Place des Victoires in the 1er Arrondissement and rapidly gained attention as among the most extreme of designers , with a penchant for mid-20th-century sci-fi themes and exaggerated 1940s-50s-style glamour marked by sharply constructed tailoring . At the same time , Mugler launched a fashion collection for men .
The 80 ’ s saw his empire expand further propelling him into an internationally recognized designer , his fashion shows were extravagant affairs held in arena-like environments with collections themed to shock , in the late seventies it was sci-fi , followed by a focus on Africa then vampires and devils and in an era when being gay was still something people didn ’ t shout about , he relished in sending drag queens down the runaway .
Mugler also directed short films , advertising films and video clips . He regularly designed costumes for musical comedies , concerts , operas and the theatre and directed George Michael ’ s extravagant “ Too Funky ” video released in 1992 featuring Linda Evangelista as a space-age Cruella De Vil , wearing a peroxide blond wig and dripping in fur and his now iconic metal Harley Davidson inspired bustier with actual motorcycle handles sticking out of each side of the waist and rearview mirrors attached to the breasts
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