Thierry Mugler defined the modern fashion show

PARIS • French designer Thierry Mugler, who reigned over fashion in the 1980s and died yesterday, was as famous for his fantastical couture as he was for his blockbuster fashion shows. He was 73.

His daring collections defined the decade's power dressing, with structured and sophisticated silhouettes, showcased by his extravagant shows. "I always thought that fashion was not enough on its own and that it had to be shown in its musical and theatrical environment," he once said.

In later years, he dressed singers Beyonce and Lady Gaga, and in 2019 came out of retirement to create reality television star Kim Kardashian's Met Gala look.

His agent Jean-Baptiste Rougeot, who said the designer had died of "natural causes", added that he had been due to announce new collaborations early this week.

Born in Strasbourg in December 1948, Mugler joined the Opera du Rhin's ballet company as a teenager before studying at the School of Decorative Arts.

From a young age, he created his own clothes, adapting items bought at nearby flea markets. He moved to Paris at 20 to work with another ballet company, but was more successful with his own wardrobe.

He became a freelance stylist and worked for fashion houses in Paris, London and Milan.

In 1973, he created his own label, Cafe de Paris, before founding the Thierry Mugler brand a year later. His designs celebrated women's forms with shoulder padding, plunging necklines, constricted waists and rounded hips.

"Dancing taught me a lot about posture, the organisation of clothing, the importance of the shoulders, the head carriage, the play and rhythm of the legs," he said.

A showman at heart, he organised spectacular presentations pioneering the modern spectacle of the 21st-century fashion show.

"Today's fashion shows are a continuation of what Mugler invented. The collections were pretexts for fashion shows," said Mr Didier Grumbach, former chief executive of the Thierry Mugler label.

Mugler had showmanship in his blood. For the 10th anniversary of his label in 1984, he organised Europe's first public fashion show, with 6,000 attending the rock concert-like event.

But nothing compared with the 20th anniversary celebration in 1995, staged at the Cirque d'Hiver. Models including Jerry Hall, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova and Kate Moss paraded alongside stars such as Tippi Hedren and Julie Newmar with the spectacle culminating in a performance by James Brown.

The 1992 launch of Mugler's first perfume, Angel - in collaboration with Clarins, which acquired a stake in the company before taking control in 1997 - was a runaway success.

Clarins shuttered Thierry Mugler ready-to-wear in 2003, a year after the designer reportedly left the brand, but continued with Angel, which would go on to rival Chanel's No. 5 for the top spot in sales.

Renowned for his work with celebrities, Mugler counted Grace Jones and Hall among his muses, and had a long-running creative collaboration with David Bowie - even dressing the singer for his wedding to Iman.

Despite seemingly retiring from fashion in the early 2000s, Mugler continued to impact culture and worked with Beyonce on her "I am..." world tour. In later years, he suffered a series of accidents requiring facial surgery, and took up bodybuilding, meditation and yoga to heal.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE