Fashion icon Manfred Thierry Mugler dead at 73

The announcement was made on his official Instagram account today, with few details given: “We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday January 23rd 2022. May his soul Rest In Peace,” the post wrote, alongside an image of a black square.

Mugler was best known for the fashion house he founded in the 1970s, creating cutting-edge avant-garde looks on catwalks for decades. He retired from fashion in 2003 but would return to his first love on occasion for showstopping moments – like the incredible ‘wet look’ dress Kim Kardashian wore to the 2019 Met Gala.

In recent years, Mugler occasionally made headlines for his newfound love of body modification, embracing weightlifting to drastically change his physique and surgical procedures to alter his face.

He spoke about the decision to change his body in a 2019 chat with Interview magazine – which also saw the then-70-year-old pose nude.

“You know, your body has a memory and it’s connected to your spirit. If you want to use it, you have to get rid of the past. It’s just like emptying your drawers to put new stuff in them,” he said.

“It’s all bones,” he said of the facial implants. “I wanted my face to represent progress, because after years of being a thin, charming dancer, I wanted to be a warrior. I’ve done so much in my life. I’ve fought so much. I’m a superhero, so it’s normal to have the face of one.”

News of Mugler’s death comes just a week after the death of another fashion industry titan at the same age – fashion journalist Andre Leon Talley. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour paid tribute to her former colleague, acknowledging their “complicated” relationship which famously ended with a feud.

“It’s the loss of André as my colleague and friend that I think of now; it’s immeasurable,” she said.

More to come …

Originally published as Iconic fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler dead at 73