Manfred Thierry Mugler († 73)
The amazing story of his changed face
Manfred Thierry Mugler (2nd from right) with dancers and choreographer Wayne McGregor (left)
©Getty Images
He was the creative mind behind iconic looks by Beyoncé, David Bowie and Kim Kardashian. There was a strong story behind its striking exterior too. Now Manfred Thierry Mugler has died at the age of 73.
He was an eccentric fashion designer and worked with the big stars. Manfred Thierry Mugler, †73, also attracted attention with his eye-catching appearance: broad shoulders, a bald head and a wide nose were his trademarks for a long time – but that wasn’t always the case.
Manfred Thierry Mugler: Accident in the gym led to visual changes
In an interview with “Numéro Homme” in 2017, the Frenchman explained what is behind his changed appearance: “I had my face reconstructed after I had a bad accident at the gym where my face was completely crushed.” His model was a marble statue by Arno Breker. If you look at old photos, you can clearly see that his nose used to be rather narrow and pointed. Only the bald head remained.
Trainers, therapists and surgeons: the designer has changed so radically
However, it wasn’t always Thierry Mugler’s wish to change his appearance: “If the accident hadn’t happened, I would never have had anything done to my face. But because the surgeon had to completely rebuild my chin, I said to myself, ‘Why not make the best of it?'” But not only does his face look different, “armed” with an iron will, nutritionists, therapists and trainers, he has also changed his body. “In life you have to know what you want, where you want to go and who you want to become […] then, with the right help, you can do whatever you want with your body!”
Thierry Mugler smiles for photographers alongside Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte on the red carpet in September 2003.
©Getty Images
Extravagance against conventions: The career of Manfred Thierry Mugler
Professionally, too, he had changed and reinvented himself again and again in the course of his career. As a teenager, Thierry Mugler was part of an opera company and aspired to be a ballet dancer. After studying costume design, he worked as a fashion designer in Paris and celebrated his big breakthrough in 1974 with his own label “Thierry Mugler”. Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell strolled down the catwalk in his designs, music icons such as David Bowie wore his extravagant costumes during their performances. In 1992 he created the world famous fragrance “Angel”. Although successes were followed by setbacks, Manfred – as he has called himself since 2007 – has managed to stay relevant, designing costumes for Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Cardi B.
Sources used: Numero.com, Instagram