Ensemble
Thierry Mugler · fall/winter 1980–81
Thierry Mugler
- Sculptural tailoring
- Theatrical silhouettes
Thierry Mugler made sharply defined silhouettes a site for material experimentation. The selected 1980s ensembles set a sculpted torso against fluttering silk or use projecting, overlapping panels to articulate the body.
Official house website
Five looks to know
Landmark design
Sculpted bodice and silk ensemble
fall/winter 1980–81
A rigid fiberglass-and-leather torso contrasts with fluttering silk layers, establishing Mugler’s sculptural approach to the body.
Photo by Paul Westlake / The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Landmark design
Armored evening ensemble
spring/summer 1989
Overlapping pointed panels articulate the torso and hips, giving eveningwear the controlled silhouette of armor.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Landmark design
Power-shoulder suit
1986
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist and an asymmetric peplum make tailoring an emphatic statement of power.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Landmark design
Les Insectes couture gown
Les Insectes, haute couture spring/summer 1997
An iridescent, body-skimming surface evokes an insect’s shell, joining Mugler’s sculptural silhouette to his fascination with the natural world.
© Dominique Issermann; Jerry Hall; via Kunsthal Rotterdam
Landmark design
La Chimère gown
La Chimère, haute couture fall/winter 1997–98
Scales, plumage and an elongated silhouette transform couture into an imagined creature, exemplifying Mugler’s theatrical approach to fashion.
© Alan Strutt; Yasmin Le Bon, Palladium, London, 1997; via Kunsthal RotterdamCollections & archive pieces
2 collections represented · 3 piecesfall/winter 1980–81
1 piece
spring/summer 1989
1 piece
Ensemble
Thierry Mugler · spring/summer 1989
1986
1 piece · Season not recorded
Suit
Thierry Mugler · 1986
About Thierry Mugler
Fiberglass, leather, silk and synthetics appear in these museum records, revealing how different materials could produce garments with a highly theatrical physical presence.