Iconic fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, who dressed some of the most gorgeous women from the entertainment industry, died on Sunday aged 73. His death was confirmed on his official Instagram page but no exact cause of death was revealed. However, it is believed that Mugler died of natural causes.
Mugler was known for his adventurous, theatrical designs, which have been worn by supermodels, Hollywood royalty and fashionistas all around the world that included names like Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga. a dominant force in the fashion industry in the 1980s, Mugler came out of retirement in 2019 to dress Kardashian for the Met Gala.
End of an Era
Although reports claim that Mugler died of "natural causes", his family didn't give the exact cause of his death. Mugler's death was announced by his family members from his official Instagram account.
"#RIP We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday January 23rd 2022," the post read. "May his soul Rest In Peace." Nothing more was mentioned about his death but the announcement saw thousands paying tribute to the iconic designer instantly.
Model Bella Hadid reacted to the news in a comment on Mugler's Instagram. "Nonononono," she wrote, along with a sad-face emoji, in the post announcing the designer's death.
Mugler, born Manfred Thierry Mugler on December 21, 1948 in Strasbaorg, France, dressed the biggest names in fashion and showbiz, even coming out of retirement in 2019 to dress Kardashian for the Met Gala.
The designer created high-end, extravagant looks that have been favored by a long list of celebrities. "He envisioned me as this California girl stepping out of the ocean, wet, dripping," Kardashian had said of her Mugler-designed "dripping wet" dress to the 2019 Met Gala.
Tributes Pour In
Mugler started at a young age designing his own clothes, adapting items bought at nearby flea markets. He shifted to Paris at the age of 20, initially to work with another ballet company but became for successful with his own wardrobe. In almost no time he became a freelance stylist and worked for various fashion houses in Paris, London and Milan.
In 1973, he took the plunge and created his own label "Café de Paris", before founding "Thierry Mugler" a year later.
Famous names dressed by the French designer include the likes of David Bowie, George Michael, Cindy Crawford and Sharon Stone Cardi B, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Bella Hadid. His impact continued even in the week prior to his death, as Twitter obsessed over Alexa Demie's character Maddie seen trying on one of Mugler's dresses in an episode that aired on January 16.
The news of his death was mourned by several celebrities including the ones he designed for. Designer Jeremy Scott and fashion photographer Mario Testino commented with broken heart emojis. "He was truly a visionary," fashion journalist Nina Garcia wrote on Twitter. "His designs shaped a fashion era and influenced a new generation of designers that weren't afraid of taking risks. He was a pioneer in mixing art, fashion history music, advertising, technology & celebrity culture into a new form. RIP Thierry Mugler."
"Fashion visionary and one of the most influential and admired designers of his generation Manfred Thierry Mugler passed away today," the CFDA tweeted, along with a photo of supermodel Iman wearing one of Mugler's designs on the runway.
Post his retirement, Mugler worked as an artistic adviser to Beyonce, including in designing the costumes for her 'I Am...' world tour in support of the album that unveiled the character of Sasha Fierce.
His death comes less than a week after fellow industry icon and former Vogue editor André Leon Talley died, also at age 73. Mugler was also famous for his line of perfumes, which are sold even today. His most recent fragrance, Angel Nova, was released in June 2020.
