Manfred Thierry Mugler encapsulates the notion of a fashion auteur. The late designer constructed a phantasmagoric fashion house that championed diversity, creative ingenuity and the subversion of societal norms across multiple disciplinary forms. Moving across creative fields seamlessly, he created an archive of work that is as eclectic as it is recognisable. This multiplicity of form includes a large archive of Thierry Mugler couture, ready-to-wear, perfumes, costume designs, film and photography. Mugler’s designs championed and subverted the feminine form, exaggerating and enhancing it in all its manifestations. The designer was a champion for diversity on the runway, being one of the first to include drag artists and trans models to present his collections. Fashion became Mugler’s tool for expression and communication, a site for spectacle, metamorphosis and transgression. This book explores his spectacular archive of work, focusing on some of the expansive collections and collaborations that have become synonymous with his creative identity.
