Haute Couture Week in Paris shaken by the death of French couturier Thierry Mugler | The financial

The Haute Couture Week in Paris started this Monday under the shock of the death of the French couturier Thierry Mugler, one of the great figures of the sector in the 1980s, who died at the age of 73.

Mugler, who died on Sunday, was known for his bold collections that defined the style of the 1980s and 1990s alike, with clothes noted for their structure and sleek silhouettes, shown in extravagant shows.

"I always thought that fashion by itself was insufficient and that it had to be shown in its musical and theatrical environment," he once said.

Years later he dressed Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, and in 2019 he came out of retirement to create Kim Kardashian's outfit for the traditional New York Metropolitan Museum gala.

"We have the immense sadness to announce the death of Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday, January 23, 2022," said a statement on the designer's Facebook account.

His representative Jean-Baptiste Rougeot said the designer died of natural causes and that he was scheduled to announce new collaborations this week.

"Rest in peace, Thierry Mugler" wrote the singer Beyoncé on her site.

"You changed our perception of fashion (...). Your heritage is something I carry with me in everything I do," Mugler's current artistic director, American Casey Cadwallader, wrote on Instagram.

"We regret this brutal disappearance at the moment Fashion Week begins" reacted Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin, nephew of the creator Pierre Cardin. "My uncle, Pierre Cardin, loved his creativity and his strong personality," he added.

Several renowned creators have died in the last two years: Kenzo, the Japanese who created the brand with the same name, died of covid-19 in October 2020, Albert Elbaz in April 2021, Pierre Cardin in 2020, the creator of Louis Vuitton Virgil Abloh, who died of cancer in November at the age of 41...

Born in Strasbourg in December 1948, Thierry Mugler was a member of the Opera du Rhin ballet company in his youth, before studying at the School of Decorative Arts.

At an early age he began creating his own clothes by adapting things he bought at flea markets.

He moved to Paris at the age of 20 to work for another ballet company, but was more successful in costume.

He initially worked as a freelance stylist and then with fashion houses in Paris, London and Milan.

In 1973 he created his "Café de Paris" brand and a year later he founded the "Thierry Mugler" brand.

His designs highlighted and celebrated the feminine form: accentuated shoulders, plunging necklines, narrow waists and rounded hips.

"Dance taught me a lot about posture, the organization of clothes, the importance of the shoulders, the game and the rhythm of the legs," Mugler said.

As a true "showman", he organized spectacular presentations for his creations, marking the beginning of the modern fashion spectacle.

"Current fashion presentations are a continuation of what Mugler invented," said Didier Grumbach, former president of the Thierry Mugler brand.

For the tenth anniversary of his brand in 1984 he organized the first public fashion show in Europe with 6,000 spectators, in an event similar to a rock concert.

But nothing compared to the 20th anniversary celebration in 1995 at Cirque d'Hiver.

Models like Jerry Hall, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova and Kate Moss walked alongside stars like Tippi Hedren and Julie Newmar, and the show ended with a performance by soul singer James Brown.

The 1992 launch of his company's first perfume, "Angel," in collaboration with Clarins, was an immediate success and went on to challenge for first place in sales with Chanel No. 5.

Although he stepped away from fashion in the early 2000s, Mugler maintained her influence on the industry and worked with Beyoncé on her "I am..." world tour.

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