French fashion designer Thierry Mugler dies at 73: NPR
French designer Thierry Mugler waves to applause after presenting his Fall/Winter 2001-2002 ready-to-wear collection in Paris March 12, 2001.
Remy de la Mauviniere/AP
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French designer Thierry Mugler waves to applause after presenting his Fall/Winter 2001-2002 ready-to-wear collection in Paris March 12, 2001.
Remy de la Mauviniere/AP
TOKYO — French fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, whose dramatic designs have been worn by celebrities like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Cardi B, has died. He was 73 years old.
He died on Sunday, his official Instagram account announced. “May his soul rest in peace,” he said in an all-black message without a picture. He did not give a cause of death.
Mugler, who launched his brand in 1973, became known for his architectural style, defined by broad shoulders and a slim waist. The use of futuristic plastic-like fabrics in his sculpted garments has become a trademark.
He defined haute couture for several decades, dressing Diana Ross and Beyonce at galas, on red carpets and on the catwalk.
His designs did not shy away from being extravagant, sometimes resembling robotic suits with protruding conical shapes. Mugler also had a popular fragrance line, which he launched in the 1990s.
French fashion designer Thierry Mugler on the catwalk with unidentified models after the presentation of his Autumn-Winter 1998-99 ready-to-wear collection presented in Paris on March 15, 1998.
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French fashion designer Thierry Mugler on the catwalk with unidentified models after the presentation of his Autumn-Winter 1998-99 ready-to-wear collection presented in Paris on March 15, 1998.
Remy de la Mauviniere/AP
The fashion world was filled with a surge of sympathy. Bella Hadid, an American model, said “Nonononono”, followed by an image of a sad face, while American actress January Jones responded with a heart mark, from their official Instagram accounts.
Apart from clothing, Mugler created films and photographs, and was an avid dancer, acrobat as well as bodybuilder, emphasizing that he always wanted to explore the human body as art.
“I always felt like a director, and the clothes I made were an everyday direction,” Mugler told Interview Magazine.
Questions about his funeral arrangements were not immediately answered.
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