One of the most glamorous fashion designers


On the first electronic screen in the exhibition, a scrolling video of Mugler's costume design for Comedie-Francaise's "La Tragedie de Macbeth", The hologram of Lady Macbeth, created by artist Michel Lemieux, draws the viewer's mind into the story of Macbeth, as the images of the changing costumes echo the emotions of the character.

Although the sexy energy of the Mugler brand has increased unabated under the current creative director Casey Cadwallader, in Thierry Mugler's creative world, "objectification" is an important part of his expression of women's sexual appeal.

Whether it is the design of clothing inspired by tires and motorcycles, or the integration of non-traditional materials such as glass, resin, PVC, vinyl, latex and chromium into the production of clothing, this bold and avant-garde approach to highlight women's power, explosive power and sexual implication has also set off discussions on the functionality and decoration of clothing to a certain extent.

However, Mugler's exploration of female possibilities is not limited to this, and the main visual of this exhibition poster - photographer Alan Strutt's crystal scale dress from Mugler's Autumn/Winter 1997 couture collection, which is performed by model Yasmin Le Bon, is the best proof. Extending from the exhibition's "Metamorphosis" exhibition hall, numerous costume designs inspired by birds, butterflies, insects, sea creatures and reptiles in nature are displayed, and the entire exhibition set is decorated. It is a virtual digital space created by Rodeo FX, a special effects company that has produced special effects for Games of Thrones and Blade Runner 2049.

In addition, Mugler's vision of women was more in the realm of science fiction, and in his mind, they would be heroes in the future.

Drawing on cutting-edge concepts from science fiction, industrial design, and aerodynamics at the time, Mugler created pairs of shiny, sturdy armor.

In the "Couture Androids" gallery, German artist and set designer Philipp Furhofer embellished these designs from the future with his signature mirrors and neon lights - the future Mugler imagined in the '90s, and the future we still imagine today.

Outside of the show, photographer Helmut Newton captured many of the highlights of Mugler's fashion, making the sexy connotation of his creativity either hidden or present.

The exhibition will feature classic Mugler advertisements and magazine hits by photographers such as Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin and Herb Ritts, and marks the first time the Helmut Newton Foundation has lent the master's work to other museums.

Thierry Mugler's collaboration with Helmut Newton also had some interesting episodes that allowed Mugler to expand into his new role.

In 1978, on the set of his first commercial with Helmut Newton, the controlling and personal photographer argued with Mugler, who was constantly eager to take control of the photography, and handed him the camera and said, "If you're so sure of what you want, why don't you do it yourself?"

Unexpectedly, Mugler went deep into photography and successively created many creative works with extraordinary perspectives.

Even his first personal book Thierry Mugler: Photographer, published in 1988, was also centered on his photography works, which shows his preference for photography.

In his photographic works, fashion often appears in the remote situations of ordinary life, from the iceberg of Greenland, the sand dunes of the Sahara desert, to the stainless steel eagle decoration on the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building and the roof of the Paris Opera, fashion is no longer the only protagonist in the picture, but forms a rare dramatic tension with the entire environment.

If images were Mugler's foray into fashion visualisation, then the perfumes he began experimenting with in the late 1970s were the forerunner of a designer brand's foray into the beauty industry.

According to Mugler, he wanted to create a "chocolate and caramel scent, a classic perfume that a little boy would give his mother."

Finally, after 13 years and more than 600 trials, perfumer Olivier Cresp added ethyl maltitol, a flavorings agent from the food industry, to the traditional fragrance recipe, resulting in the now famous Angel by Thierry Mugler perfume.

Nearly four years of global tour is coming to an end in New York, this exhibition by Thierry Mugler personally curated is perhaps his best gift for himself, but also for all the fashion lovers who still miss him and adore him.

Casey Cadwallader, current creative director of Fashion House, one of the exhibition partners, also said, "I am excited to bring this exhibition to Brooklyn, which is a dynamic journey through the vision and legacy of Manfred Thierry Mugler. A true creative who runs in his own field touches everything, from contours and craftsmanship to casting and fragrance, that is different."

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