French fashion designer Thierry Mugler has died aged 73. In the 80s and 90s he was one of the most successful designers worldwide and contemporary stars such as Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga also wear his creations.
Mugler’s death was announced on his Instagram account. A completely black image reads: “It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday, January 23, 2022. Rest in peace.” Nothing is said about the cause of death.
His company’s Instagram channel also pays tribute to Mugler’s death. “A visionary whose imagination as a couturier, perfumer and image maker enabled people around the world to be braver and dream bigger every day.”
world stars
In the 80s and 90s he was one of the first designers to let world stars walk in his clothes. He has worked with Tippi Hedren, Demi Moore and Diana Ross, among others. “I will miss you”, the latter writes Twitter.
He retired as a designer in 2002, but in 2010 he made a comeback with his Mugler brand. Since then, a new generation of global stars has rediscovered his creations. In 2019, he designed the striking dress for Kim Kardashian that she wore to the Met Gala benefit event in New York.
In 2019, hundreds of thousands of people visited a retrospective of Mugler’s designs, including in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam.
Dutch designer Addy van den Krommenacker has responded to Mugler’s death via social media. “He inspired me to start designing myself”, he writes.
Timeless
The couturier himself was not surprised by the continued popularity of his creations. “It’s timeless, when you see the pieces it’s timeless. It’s very inspiring to me, it’s fun and makes me feel like I have a lot more to do,” he said in 2019.
Mugler also had success as a perfumer. Most popular was his star-shaped perfume Angel from 1992, which was based on, among other things, vanilla and fresh fruits. According to The New York Times, Mugler was the first to successfully market a fragrance that smells like food.