BIG CHANGES AT THIERRY MUGLER PARFUMS

Designer Thierry Mugler is stepping down as artistic director of THIERRY MUGLER PARFUMS, a position in which he oversaw creative aspects of new fragrances. He was responsible for the fragrance ANGEL, A*MEN, MUGLER COLOGNE and ALIEN. Without Mugler, the perfume house, now owned by CLARINS group, becomes a business just like any other.

Having opened his first Paris boutique in 1978 at the Place des Victoires, Thierry departed as designer of his fashion house in 2003. Nicola Formichetti took over as creative director in 2011, but has announced that he too is leaving the house of Mugler to work with DIESEL.

On a personal note, I met Thierry Mugler in the late 70's when my friend JANE THORVALDSON walked his show and I did her makeup. After the show I was invited to sit with him at a large party where all the designers were represented at their own tables. I remember his table was next to KARL LAGERFELD. I'll never forget how exciting that night was. I wore a beautiful blue leather Mugler design that looked very futuristic, with my short bleached blonde hair. The Thierry I met that night looked like the man in the top photo with model Jerry Hall, tall, slender, with the good looks of a dancer, which he had studied to be, before becoming a fashion designer.

But in recent years Mugler decided to transform himself into a body builder and changed himself completely, as you can see in the second photo. (In April 2010 a New York Times story discussed Mugler's cosmetic transformation of his face body and genitals." [Mugler has] taken to calling himself Manfred and transformed his body...into what is apparently a 240-pound spectacle of muscle and nipple and tattoos...")

So I guess this latest departure from the house of Thierry Mugler marks the end of that era, and I look forward to learn what he will do in the future.