By Claire ThorpeFeatures correspondent
getty imagesZendaya wears Thierry Mugler’s robot suit to the Dune: Part Two premiere in London – From Grace Jones to Lady Gaga, the French designer has created stunning outfits for the world’s most glamorous celebrities.
There was a distinctly futuristic atmosphere on the red carpet for the premiere of Dune: Part Two in London this week. Timothée Chalamet wore metallic trousers, Florence Pugh wore a sequined black hooded dress by Valentino. But no one understood this more than Zendaya, who proved in a silver cyborg suit that, when it comes to fashion, she’s not just in another league — but in another world.
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Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach took this bodysuit from French fashion designer Thierry Mugler’s 1995 couture collection. The robot suit was originally created with artist Jean-Jacques Urkun, and was inspired by the character Futura from the 1925 novel Metropolis. Made from chrome, and featuring plexiglass cutouts, it took six months to build. The futuristic look was the perfect choice to launch a sci-fi movie — and if Zendaya was looking to create an iconic red carpet moment, she chose wisely. Because if there’s one designer whose creations are almost guaranteed to turn heads, it’s Thierry Mugler.
gettyMugler, who died in 2022 at the age of 73, was known for this love of spectacle. When Zendaya’s bodysuit was first seen on the catwalk in the mid-90s, it was part of a special show held at Paris’ Cirque d’Hiver to celebrate 20 years of the Thierry Mugler brand. show, dubbed “Woodstock of Fashion”, which features actress Tippi Hedren wearing a dress covered in black birds (a nod to her most famous role), along with many of the biggest supermodels, musical guests, drag queens, and porn stars of the time. It was a ridiculous and over-the-top show – and also completely typical of Thierry Mugler.
Mugler first emerged as a designer in the 1970s and soon became known for his dramatic designs. Mugler – who wanted to be a dancer as a child – was inspired by superheroes, goddesses, cabaret stars and cartoon characters. He loved feathers, sequins and crystals and was known for his sculptural, architectural designs. Her signature silhouette was an inverted triangle, with large, structured shoulders and a tightly cinched waist.
He soon established himself as the go-to designer for celebrities who wanted to attract attention. It’s no surprise that Grace Jones was an early fan. In 1979, David Bowie wore a pink Mugler dress in the video for Boys Keep Swinging.
Her fashion shows became famous in the 1980s. In 1984 she organized the first commercial fashion show, selling 6,000 tickets for her performance at the Zenith Paris stadium. For the finale, model Pat Cleveland (then six months pregnant) descended from the sky as Madonna in a transparent chiffon gown. In 1985, he sent models down the runway with their nipples covered with gold plates (and, at one point, gave Iman a live monkey to sit on her shoulder).
beyond spectacular
In the 1990s, his thirst for flamboyance grew even more, even when many other designers were adopting a more minimalist look, and the grunge aesthetic was everywhere. “I don’t believe in natural fashion,” he said. told the new York Times.
getty imagesIn the 1990s he sent models including Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell down the catwalk in bondage-inspired dresses and whips. In 1991, the costumes were cartoonish, with Christy Turlington wearing a dress made of giant balls of fur. In her Fall 1997 couture collection, model Adriana Carembeau walked the runway in a corset dress covered with scales made of horse hair, feathers and Swarovski crystals, looking like a high-fashion fish. That same year, Jerry Hall – a longtime favorite – walked the runway dressed as an extravagantly glamorous peacock.
Mugler’s dress-like designs meant he was particularly sought after in the music world – and still is, with Madonna, Celine Dion and Diana Ross all wearing his creations on stage. Mugler provided costumes for George Michael’s 1992 Too Funky video, including one motorcycle inspired bustier From their spring/summer 1992 show.
Beyoncé also wore a Mugler motorcycle bustier on the cover of her 2009 album I Am… Sasha Fierce, and continued to wear his designs on stage for years. On last year’s Renaissance Tour, she wore a custom Mugler Cyborg suit inspired by his original design. Now that she’s entering her country era, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her reaching for her bright red cowgirl dress from the Spring Summer 1992 show. Lady Gaga has also been a longtime fan of Mugler, often wearing the vintage pieces in both her videos and on the red carpet.
getty imagesAt the 2019 Grammys, Cardi B wore a pastel pink 1995 Mugler creation — her “Birth of Venus” dress — that gave the impression she was a human pearl inside an oyster shell. That same year, Kim Kardashian wore a custom Mugler gown to the Met Gala. The latex beaded dress, which looked like water dripping from her body, took eight months to make – and became Thierry Mugler created the first creation for his eponymous house in 20 years,
With Mugler no longer with us, stars are now left to dive into his collections to create incredible fashion moments. And with Zendaya setting the bar so high, we can expect more to come.
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