Thierry Mugler [Hardcover]

Danièle Bott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2010

A visual journey through four decades of Thierry Mugler’s unmistakable style and inexhaustible creativity.

The designs of the iconic French couturier Thierry Mugler convey a powerful and seductive image of womanhood. His architectural, ultra-stylized silhouettes, his exploration of new materials, his passion for staging and spectacle, and his futuristic fantasies have left an indelible impression on the world of fashion.

Divided into five key themes that embody Mugler’s aesthetic—fantasy, anatomy, metamorphosis, heroines, and stars—this colorful anthology features examples of all his classic work, from outrageous catwalk shows to extravagant accessories. Celebrities, supermodels, and muses appear in original sketches and photographs by Mugler himself, along with images from some of the great names of fashion photography, including Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Jean-Paul Goude.

The book moves from the founding of the house in the 1970s, through the cutting-edge couture of the 1980s and 1990s, to today’s best-selling fragrances and the styling of spectacular shows and concerts for Beyoncé and Cirque du Soleil. 200 color photographs and illustrations

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Danièle Bott is a journalist specializing in fashion and beauty, who has written for Vogue and many other magazines. She is the author of Chanel: Collections and Creations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (May 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500515204
• ISBN-13: 978-0500515204
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #311,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's a good thing a picture is worth a thousand words, July 14, 2010

By 

Staci L. Wilson "Author: Animal Movies Guide ... (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Thierry Mugler (Hardcover)

It's a good thing a picture is worth a thousand words, because this big, glossy coffee table book on audacious designer Thierry Mugler isn't worth reading. It's true you can't judge a girl by her corset, but it was the cover that attracted me and fortunately there was a lot more of the same inside. The photos, many of them by the immortal Helmut Newton, are gorgeously reproduced large-sized and in full-fledged color. Worth it on sale for the pics, but the text comes off like a press release.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thierry Mugler "Galaxy Glamour" - Daniele Bott (Thames & Hudson), August 31, 2010

By 

BlogOnBooks "BlogOnBooks" (Los Angeles CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thierry Mugler (Hardcover)

To view Thierry Mugler as a mere fashion designer is missing the point. Not since Jean-Paul Gauthier, has anyone approached the world of design with the grand theatrical spectacle of France's outrageous Mugler. This is one designer who knows that the show does not end at the wardrobe, but that the clothing is just one piece of the potential presentation.

In this new work, author Bott describes Mugler as a superhero; one whose work is "untouched by economic upheavals and everyday banality, it is constantly explosive, a continuous fireworks display." Mugler's complete history is revealed; from his early education as a student of classical ballet, to the influence of comic books, to the eventual move to fashion design and the tableau of the runway. Through it all, we gain a new understanding of just how the designer became perhaps the most theatrical and over-the-top couturier of our era.

The book is the perfect showcase for the designer's extreme fashion sense as well as a work that captures all the provocative and mind bending energy of his most famous runway shows. Mugler's highly stylized, mostly futuristic designs - sometimes known as `fashion architecture' - are shown from their sketchpad inceptions, to their actual assemblage on through their final appearances on a fitting set of models such as Jerry Hall, Eva Herzigova and Linda Evangelista. Beyond design, the seemingly indefatigable Mugler made a name for himself by using materials heretofore unheard of in the world of couture; from chrome to plexiglass, feathers to motorcycle parts(!) in various constructions and de-constructions creating the fashion equivalents of fiery jewelry settings, lush peacocks and even a few robotic, female C-3POs. All are aptly showcased here.

In this edition, Bott, a french fashion journalist (Vogue) who also profiled the House of Chanel, has done a magnificent job of capturing the truly other-worldly and proto-futuristic products that emanate from the mind of Thierry Mugler (including his parfum `Angel.') The pictures (done by the man himself as well as Helmut Newton, Jean-Paul Goude and others) representing each phase of the designers oeuvre, are undeniably amazing (and if the cover doesn't convince you, nothing will.) To see just what is possible at the outer edges of fashion, spectacle and design, this is a good place to begin - or end.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book!, June 7, 2010

By 

Anna Gorovits (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thierry Mugler (Hardcover)

As an avid fashion fanatic, I was very interested in acquiring this book. Thierry Mugler is amazing in every sense. The pages are crisp and the images are beautiful. I liked how the book was divided into sections by his different "periods" and styles of clothing. I recommend this book for any one interested in out there fashion!