Customer Reviews

Thierry Mugler

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

This book is pretty disappointing. It only concentrates on the post 1995 Thierry Mugler work. Pictures are basically from the 1998 shows. Only 5 to 10 images in the whole book are from 1984, 1988, 1992, 1995. The author neglects Thierry Mugler's earlier shows, his tribute to Diana Ross, his anniversary show in 1984, his 20th anniversary show in 1995 with Jerry Hall... The texts are rather laudatory than biographic. A good book for Mugler's late 90's work fans (chimere, insect collection...) but a disappointment for people looking for an encyclopedic Mugler book.

as a fashion promotion agent with a vast history of fashion from the 80's i must say this photographic info on MUGLER's genius is lacking in striking photos of his runway work which was most brilliant...i have better images in my archive of runway reporting in europe than this book has!!!!i think Amazon where i purchased this book has better choice from Mugler to choose from....

This is a good book for anyone who is a Mugler fan. It is in NO WAY a complete compendium of his full career, in fact, it is rather limited in its scope of his work. Like so many of my favorites designers, I want a giant book detailing every single outfit from every collection; but alas, this book will have to do. It mainly focuses on Mugler's anniversary show and the pictures used are fantastic. Some of the detail shots are very well done. The review should really be a 3.5.

I love this book - Thierry Mugler is a very talented artist and his work is beautifully represented in this book. I am from the French region of Alsace like him and he does Alsace proud!

This past December I was leaving Balthazar's in NYC and stepped across to the MOMA store to get out of the cold and browse their wonderful collection of books on all things visual. To my delight, I spied a sinister looking book with and all-black cover with the words 'Thierry Mugler" marching down the spine in vivid green. At last, the third piece of the Mugler trilogy had appeared. Manfred ( Thierry's common name) had told me that he was working on a "book of his photographies" a few years ago but did not elaborate. A few years later I was jaw-dropped by this book that has as much presence on a bookshelf as his first two books. The scale is a bit smaller but the content is as mega-ton as the earlier books. I plunked down the payment and off I dashed to the nearest cab for a long drive uptown so I could study the contents in my isolated, mobile world certain to remain undisturbed. The images are fascinating and serve up the bullet-proof beauty and drop-dead diva vibe that Mugler presents as if the images are just a few things he's been working on. His first two books are sold out and available only to those willing to send their bankroll to a fat-farm. Some are listed at over $900.00!! I have the Fashion, Fetish, Fantasy copy that Mugler presented to Todd Oldham, with a handwritten dedication signed with silver ink. I will never surrender that book but I would consider trading my other copies for the kind of money people will pay to peek inside the Mugler Galaxy where the stars are the creations of the artist and the artist is his own creation as well; I guarantee it will skyrocket in value as supplies are low and Thierry Mugler books have not been known for being reprinted. Even if you don't get the fashion,you should get the collectabilty of this item. No GO!!! Get this book! Once they are gone, dey is gone.

Lots of fantastic pictures showing lots of detail. I have another Mugler book with only a couple of the same outfits in, but this book shows better detail shots...In my opinion, this book is definately a "Must have". I'd be very surprised if you were disapointed in it. The text I haven't got to yet...Haven't got past the pictures.