The fashion world is in mourning following the death of French designer legend Thierry Mugler.
The designer was well known for creating fragrances which were released under his own fashion brand label, and he had a long history of designing clothes – and he even dipped his toe into the world of film costume design.
Tributes poured in on Monday 24 January, 2022, as the fashion world awoke to the news of the star’s sad passing – with Vogue saying his death was “deeply felt” across the industry.
As his life’s work is celebrated around the globe, here are all the details of where Thierry Mugler came from and why he rose to fame.
Early life
The designer was born Manfred Thierry Mugler in Strasbourg, France on 21 December 1948 to a doctor father – while the future designer described his mother as “the most elegant woman in their town.”
In his youth, the star spent his time making costumes, writing dramas, watching films and later enlisted at the School of Fine Arts in Strasbourg and also, as a dancer, joined the Opera in the city.
He moved to Paris in 1966 and launched his fashion brand in 1973 and this is when he became known by his name Thierry Mugler.
Fashion designs
Thierry cut his teeth in the fashion world by making designs got clothes company Karim in the early 1970s before moving to create designs for Parisian boutique, Gudule.
His own label caused a stir when it emerged in 1973 bringing “sophisticated and urban” designs to the fashion world.
In the 80s and 90s, he became famous for the “shapely suits” he designed for women and made the leap into haute couture in 1992 – before stepping away from fashion in 2002.
Fragrance success
While Thierry’s fashion labels were ultimately shut down in 2003 due to financial losses, his fragrances have continued to enjoy huge success.
Thierry Mugler Alien is one of his most famous fragrance creations which debuted in 2005 – while his first fragrance was called Angel and unleashed in 1992.
The two fragrances are said to make his brand over £200 million per year – while other delightful scents from the perfume house include Womanity and Mirror, Mirror.
Costume design
Demi Moore stood out in her 1993 film Indecent Proposal when she appeared in a scene wearing a captivating, scrappy black dress designed by Thierry.
While he quit fashion in 2002, Thierry continued to create jaw-dropping designs for the A-List – with the star designing Beyonce ’s tour costumes for her I Am… World Tour in 2009.
He also created designs for Lady Gaga, Cardi B, and Kim Kardashian for tours, music videos and events – while music icon Diana Ross was among his friends who he also designed for.
Death
Thierry sadly passed away on Sunday 23 January 2022 – with news of his death making headlines the following day.
A post on the designer’s official Facebook account confirmed the sad news, reporting: “We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday January 23rd 2022.”
His cause of death was reported by the AFT news agency as “natural causes”, while his agent Jean-Baptiste Rougeot added that Thierry had been due to announce new collaborations this week.
