Thierry Mugler’s Most Memorable Designs Of All Time

Thierry Mugler, who defined futuristic fashion and whose designs could be easily mistaken for pieces of art, died Sunday at age 73. His many contributions include iconic looks from runway shows and on the celebrities who wore pieces from his archives.

The motorcycle corset, seen here during his Spring/Summer 1992 fashion show in Paris, may be his most memorable piece thanks to its lasting impact. It appeared in George Michael’s “Too Funky” music video and was later recreated for Beyoncé’s “I Am…” tour in 2009.

Mugler never shied away from creating a fashion moment, and this look, from his 1982-1983 Fall/Winter show in Paris, was one of the most fabulous: a head-to-toe white fur getup, complete with two white poodles.

Naomi Campbell was a Mugler runway mainstay, as seen here in this futuristic design from his Fall/Winter 1989-1990 show.

Once again blurring the lines between sci-fi and fashion, Mugler’s mind turned heads during his 1995 20th anniversary show, which was centered around his “Cirque d’Hiver” collection and included this sexy space age outfit.

This sheer, corseted, and crystal gown, alongside a bold headpiece and fur stole on Claudia Schiffer, was an instantly iconic look from his 1995 Fall/Winter show.

The hits in 1995 just kept on coming, like the structural Venus gown which may look familiar to fans of Cardi B...

...who pulled it from the archives for the 2019 Grammy Awards. Stylist Kollin Carter told WWD that the first of many collabs between Cardi and Mugler began with a direct message to the designer on Instagram.

Speaking of Cardi B, here she is wearing another archival Mugler gown, this time in 2021 to the opening of a Mugler exhibit.

Nobody could forget this iconic moment from the 2019 Met Gala: Kim Kardashian in Mugler’s optical illusion-inducing wet dress. Mugler came out of retirement to design it for her.