Thierry Mugler – The Legend

For almost three decades, the name ‘Thierry Mugler’ has been associated with the pinnacle of fashion, and with creating astoundingly enduring perfumes. A perennial on the best-selling perfume lists and stocked the world over by top-end perfume retailers, such as www.angelperfume.biz, it was one of Mugler’s first scents, Angel Perfume, which ensured Thierry Mugler’s status as a legendary perfumer.





How did Thierry Mugler’s remarkable journey begin?





Thierry Mugler was born in 1948 in Strasbourg, France. He spent time training and working as a ballet dancer, where he was absorbed by the stage, and by the effects of costume. This led him to study design, before moving to Paris in 1970 where he pursued his passion and worked as a window dresser for fashion designers. This taste of life within the sphere of fashion design drew him in and he began to contemplate the potential for his own career a fashion designer: he was seduced by the industry and began to design his own clothing.





Thierry Mugler’s fashion debut





Thierry Mugler’s first range of clothing – Café de Paris – was launched in 1973, and the talent of the new-kid-on-the-block was immediately recognised within the highly competitive world of fashion. Over the next twenty years, Mugler continued designing clothes and developing his reputation throughout Europe and the US as one of an elite group of contemporary designers. His collections were renowned for never being ‘safe’, were often controversial, and were always cutting-edge.





Always a showman





As with his clothes, Thierry Mugler’s fashion shows have always had a reputation for decadence and showiness. Exciting both the fashion and the mainstream press, his shows dazzle and hypnotise the audience. His Tokyo show attracted 13,000 spectators – a record for a fashion event – and his shows have an atmosphere more like a major sporting event than a fashion show. Many young designers mention Thierry Mugler as their motivation for entering the fashion industry, and it is clear that his legacy extends well beyond his own fashion and perfume collections.





Thierry Mugler’s talents have also been evident beyond the world of fashion. In 1992 he directed the video for George Michael’s Too Funky, a tongue in cheek caricature of the fashion world. And – if proof were needed that Thierry Mugler is as relevant now as he was 20 years – he was enlisted by Beyonce as the main costume designer for her I Am... Tour, and his recent collaboration with Lady Gaga has ensured that he remains as relevant now as 30-years ago.





Thierry Mugler has also written two books – Thierry Mugler, and Fashion Fetish Fantasy. These take an insider’s look at fashion design and photography, and are essential reading for aspiring fashion designers the world over.





The birth of a master perfumer





With his status as fashion guru well established, and having already branched out into directing and writing, it was in 1992 that Thierry Mugler decided to branch out into the world of perfume. And he started with a bang. His first scent was "Angel" (available from www.angelperfume.biz). It was an immediate hit and is still, almost thirty years later, one of the most popular scents in the world.


There is no doubt that Thierry Mugler is a remarkable talent and has been an incredible asset to the worlds of both fashion and perfume. His range of Thierry Mugler Angel scents is one of the great perfume success stories and, along with his fashion collaborations, is certain to be at the centre of the remarkable legacy of Thierry Mugler.