DEVIL THAT CREATED ANGEL RETURNS - MUGLER BACK IN THE HOUSE

EVA MENDES FOR ANGELJust when we thought all the rebelious fashion designers were being pushed aside by corporate soldiers just looking to make bank- Thierry Mugler gets drawn back in!   Over the pastANGEL PARFUM - THE ICONIC FRAGRANCE CREATED BY THIERRY MUGLER few years, the industry saw a bit of a declawing of some of the most creative and troubled souls.   Alexander McQueen ended his own life, John Galliano threw his job at Dior away with an antisemitic tirade, and Nicolas Ghesquiere up and left Balenciaga.   While Ghesquiere is not exactly James Dean in the rebel department, his designs did push the boundaries of what was expected on a Parisian runway.  There are those that would say Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld are rebels,but in reality - they are both commercial designers working with luxury materials, which gives it novelty.   In fairness Karl usually starts a trend that Marc and most other designers follow.

Thierry Mugler however, THIERRY MUGLER'S FAMOUS ROBOT SUIT -WORN BY JOANNE - LATE 90'Sthis is a rebel.  His collections that stormed the runways in the 80's through the late nineties were showstoppers that were so sexually charged, they raised the blood pressure of editors, buyers, and designer customers around the world.   During Mugler's heyday, he was the epitome of cool, chic, French fashion.  With exaggerated shoulders, busts, and hips - a Thierry Mugler skirt suit gave women an hourglass figure that could stop traffic.  The fit was so extreme in fact, some called Mugler a misogynist.VINTAGE MUGLER SKIRT SUIT WITH JEWEL ENCRUSTED BUSTIER  Ironic as to Thierry, he was empowering women to use their sexuality to rule the world.   Mugler himself is a six foot tall, tattooed, tanned, muscled Frenchman - often in leather pants and a codpiece.   His early years as a ballet dancer would shape his approach to design, his staging of runway shows, and just about everything he created.   Star Trek and Barbarella where also two powerful influences on how he saw the world of his dreams.   

His instincts made Mugler a famous designer, but the quality and savoir-faire of the RTW the house produced made him a legend in fashion circles.   The quality was impeccable.  The fabric, the finishing, and the hardware.  Thierry made every detail an experience.  The star shaped ornaments that served as jacket closures were custom made by a jewelry house.   The fabric covered snaps that would hold every womens jacket and mens shirt closed were perfect little works of art.    

Then his groundbreaking fragrance ANGEL was created, which would change Thierry's life forever.  Like the greatest French fashion house before him, it would become the cash cow for the houseTHIERRY MUGLER & MUSE - JERRY HALL - VH-1 / VOGUE - FASHION MUSIC AWARDS - LATE 90'S and take the legend of Thierry Mugler to a global audience.   Soon the skincare legend Clarins would be involved, and ultimately buy controlling interest in the company.  Thierry became a very rich man, but he remained the rebel that made him a star.  NEW POP SENSATION AND FASION "IT" GIRL- RITA ORA- IN MUGLEREventually the RTW collection would close, but not before Mugler showed true Couture in Paris - a distinction that most designer collections have never achieved.  The name disappeared from runways and from the lips of most in the fashion world, but not those obsessed wtih the world of fragrance.   Angel would grow to become a huge brand in fragrance spawning additional scents - Alien, and Womanity.   Strong, distinctive, and unlike anything you have ever worn - just what you expect from Thierry.   Mugler would remain as creative director of fragrances up until early 2013.  

Lady Gaga would be the catalyst to re-launch the fashion house of Thierry Mugler.  Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti would dress her in a custom Mugler ensemble, and like the effect she had on Alexander McQueen, suddenly the name Mugler was back.   Formichetti would be named creative director of a newly retooled MUGLER collection.   Not the RTW Parisian collection it had been, but a more cartoon like version of the diffusion line that already existed.  This reincarnation of MUGLER would star Gaga herself in the first runway show in Paris.   This newly launched MUGLER was not a commercial success.  It was no surprise for anyone in the industry, as choosing Formichetti to head a French fashion house was a bit absurd. NICOLA FORMICHETTI & LADY GAGA - IN MUGLER ON THE MUGLER RUNWAY It was almost as odd as the brief moment Lindsay Lohan was chosen as co-creative director of Ungaro.   Of course that did not work.   THIERRY "MANFRED" MUGLER IN 2012Formichetti had Gaga as his ace card, and even her immense fame could not make a collection relevent.

So now in 2013 it has been announced that Thierry Mugler himself will be returning to the company he founded.  Not as creative director, but as a creative consultant. These days Theirry prefers to be called Manfred Mugler, and his physical appearance remains as much a work in progress as his fashion designs.    It remains to be seen what this will actually mean - but we can all hope Thierry Mugler will return to the Paris runways soon.  It's hard to imagine Thierry aka Manfred taking direction from anyone, so stay tuned for how this development plays out.