Here at Vex, we admire many designers, especially those that challenge fashion norms and inspire us to approach fashion differently. One of those designers is Thierry Mugler, the groundbreaking genius and creative director behind theeponymous fashion house, known for his architectural and theatrical approach to design. Sadly, Thierry Mugler passed away this week, leaving a gaping hole in the fashion community. This loss is especially felt by Vex’s creative director, Laura, who first discovered him when a professor showed her a video of his runway show. He served as a huge inspiration and motivated her to get into design. Mugler was also one of a few designers to incorporate latex into haute couture. Keep reading to learn more about this legendary designer and his influence on Vex.
A legendary influence
Mugler’s designs dominated the fashion scene in the 1980’s and 90’s but he began gaining fame in the late 70’s. His designs had a campy vibe that fused S&M with high fashion, featuring exaggerated extremes like big shoulders and nipped waists. His aesthetic managed to be sexy, high fashion that pushed the envelope without making women look dirty or slutty, something that resonated with Laura.
Mugler also favored strong, sensual materials such as leather and latex, and was one of the first - if notthefirst - designers to feature latex in runway shows. The result was a type of bold, sexy, power dressing that brought him fans across all walks of life, from socialites to drag queens, many who walked in his shows. One of these shows was the spark that inspired Laura, the founder and creative director of Vex, to pursue her design dreams. While a student at FIT, she was gifted a VHS tape of Mugler’s Spring/Summer 1997 haute couture show by her tailoring instructor. At the time, Laura was making a velvet suit with hand beaded flames, and after repeatedly watching the tape of the “Les Insectes” collection, which featured models transforming from insects to sexual masterpieces, Laura was transformed. When a client requested to be transformed into a bug for an event, Laura used Mugler’s past insect designs as inspiration. Mugler’s reach was, and still is, so expansive. His designs penetrated pop culture in a way none of his contemporaries did; he even designed the costumes for George Michael’s iconic music video “Too Funky.”
Years later, everything came full circle when Laura was asked to design some latex pieces for Mr. Mugler himself, who was being shot for Interview magazine. Ultimately, he was photographed nude for the shoot (in true icon fashion), but Laura still considers it one of the greatest honors of her career. You can see Mugler’s influence in many of the pieces in the Vex collection. The sexy and powerful signature of Vex designs channels that of Mugler and his legacy will continue to influence the next generations of fashion.
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