Fashion as sculpture, as avant-garde expression, as spectacle: Thierry Mugler’s career pushed the boundaries of what fashion design and clothing could mean.
Mugler, who went by Manfred in later years, founded his brand in 1973 with his first personal collection. By the late 1990s, he was more famous for his fragrances, thanks to the brand’s best seller Angel. But vintage Mugler dresses and gowns have recently returned to red carpets, worn by stars like Kim Kardashian, Cardi B and Hailey Bieber.
Mugler’s penchant for performance, drama and costuming came from his background in ballet, having danced as a teenager with the Opéra national du Rhin in his hometown of Strasbourg, France. In the 1980s and ’90s, his couture shows were theatrical and futuristic, similar to those of his contemporaries Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix.
In one of Mugler’s shows, the then-pregnant legendary supermodel Pat Cleveland (part of the coterie of glamorous muses associated with designer Halston) was suspended from the ceiling and then glided down the runway surrounded by clouds of smoke.
Mugler would become known for his immaculate tailoring as well as for his increasingly avant-garde designs that featured sharp cuts, sexy and fetishistic elements, an integration of metal and uniquely treated materials like PVC and leather. Recent years have seen Mugler’s archival designs, especially from his 1995 haute couture show, take center stage, coinciding with the resurgence of camp in fashion and the return of bodycon dresses.
The French cosmetics company Clarins SA acquired Mugler’s brand in 1997, and its founder stepped back from the label in 2002. The house’s roster of clients has included some of the most visionary figures in fashion, from David Bowie and Diana Ross to Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, and the founder’s influence on over-the-top fashion can be seen in the work of designers such as Jeremy Scott and Alexander McQueen.
Find vintage Thierry Mugler corset tops, suits, sunglasses and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
$180Sale Price|20% Off
Thierry Mugler Angel Etoile Collection Factice with Box
By Thierry Mugler
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful Thierry Mugler 2.6 fluid ounce “Etoile Collection” Eau de Parfum factice-dummy in mint condition. This piece comes in the factory box with molded stand. The piece has color...
Glass, Plastic
$1,750
H 6.5 in W 10 in D 2.75 in
Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Structure No. 222 occupies a quietly pivotal place within Jim Rose’s legacy, embodying his ability to extract meaning from the margins of his own making process. Created from found s...
Steel
Australian Aboriginal Carved Ancestor Figure with Ochre Paint
Located in Atlanta, GA
Hand-carved wood ancestor figure with surface pictorial carving showing kangaroo hunting and decorated with black and red paint and white and yellow ocher pigment. The figure slightly leans forward as made. The piece was carved by aboriginal artist...
Wood
Unavailable|$1,008 / item
H 16.15 in W 7.88 in D 8.67 in
Black Mercurius Hermes Bust Statue Made with Compressed Marble Powder
By LAGU
Located in İSTANBUL, TR
Hermes is the messenger god in Greek mythology. He is the quickest and most clever of the gods. The original is displayed in the Istanbul Archeological Museum. Hermes, a descendan...
Statuary Marble
18th-19th Century Italian Wood Carved Angel
Located in San Francisco, CA
A lovely angel, his right hand extended as if to touch something or hold something. He appears very calm and peaceful, clothed in a partial shroud which is draped over his shoulder...
Wood
$2,112Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.87 in Dm 9.06 in
Whimsical Carving of a Dwarf with Snuffbox, 19th Century
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Whimsical Carving of a Dwarf with Snuffbox, 19th Century A 19th century funny carved and painted dwarf with snuffbox. Unrestored original condition, old wormholes, partly paintloss ...
Wood
Putto with Dolphin Sculpture
By Raffaello Romanelli
Located in Milan, IT
This is a reproduction of Andrea del Verrocchio's famous bronze sculpture, Putto with Dolphin from 1470, which is now housed in Florence's Palazzo V...
Bronze
$1,500
H 6.25 in W 7 in D 3.75 in
Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Structure No. 246 (2022) represents a late and quietly eloquent strand of Jim Rose’s legacy, one rooted in attentiveness to process and the expressive potential of remnants. Made from repurposed painted steel scraps generated during the construction of his quilt cabinets...
Steel
Classic Antique Black Forest Carved Bracket with Stag’s Head
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Antique black forest hand-carved stag’s mounted on the support with an oak leaf surround. With a shaped top shelf with canted corners. Excellent detailing ...
Wood
German Carved Wooden Figure of Shepherdess with a Sheep
Located in Barntrup, DE
Beautiful hand carved wooden figurine of an adorable girl - shepherdess with a sheep. Dimensions: Height 35.5 cm / in, width 13 cm / in, ...
Wood
Train on Track with Smoke by Brutalist Artist Chet Blacketer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wonderful and Heavily Patinated, very large example of Brutalist - a train on a track. The entire piece is a solid unit, very stable and also quite heavy. In the manner of Jere, ...
Iron
$1,400
H 21.26 in W 10.24 in D 11.82 in
Mexican Burnished Clay Woman with Child Oaxacan Sculpture Mixtec Ceramic
Located in Queretaro, Queretaro
This Mexican ceramic clay hand sculpture is a piece by artist Maricela Gómez López. Made with clay from Oaxaca and Zacatecas, painted with oxides from the region. Done with the hand-...
Ceramic, Clay
Blue Lady Ema with Handbag Eva Fritz-Lindner, 1970
Located in South Burlington, VT
Blue lady with her handbag- mastertwork from Eva Fritz-Lindner. A serene tall handmade and hand painted sculpture of a lady carrying her handbag named EMA - a friend of the artist- e handcrafted and hand painted in beautiful blue colors. On bottom atelier mark i 3 D and with tree (black brush mark). Ema was the late Eva Fritz-Lindner's (1933-2017) good friend. Designer/maker: Eva Fritz-Lindner with stamp i3D, circa 1960-1970. Glaze: Light and dark blue matte colors are bright and vivid and the hand painting only adds to the charm; light original glaze crazing appropriate for age. Additional comments: Most of her larger sculptures were likely produced in less than 100 copies based upon research and all were hand painted individually by this artist ensuring each work of art was indeed unique. Dimensions: 12.5 inches high. Handmade / handarbeit and hand glazed, few survive. Provenance: Old German collection. About the artist: The bold folk art sculptress and ceramist Eva Fritz-Lindner (1933-2017) studied at the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden and Darmstadt and was a master student in the sculptor class by Erich Kuhn. From 1955 she worked as a master designer at the Staatliche Majolika-Manufaktur Karlsruhe where she created and designed several hundred highly regarded ceramic folk art animal sculptures and unique wall and garden works of art inspired by nature and possibly the local zoo at Karlsruhe. Owls and family concepts were a particular specialty. During this time she created designs for building and garden ceramics, vessels and small sculptures. Since 1964, the sculptress worked as a freelance artist in her own studio in Karlsruhe-Durlach. The artist designed important works in the field of building ceramics, including wall designs in mosaic, in Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Baden-Baden, Schwäbisch Gmünd and Göppingen. Of particular note, she created enormous scale owl sculptures for the palace gardens in Karlsruhe in 1967 (see photo). In 1962, Eva Fritz-Lindner was awarded the silver medal at the Prague International Ceramic Exhibition. The artists' ceramics are owned and located in the Hetjens-Museum Düsseldorf, in the Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art...
Ceramic, Pottery