The Brooklyn Museum debuts Thierry Mugler: Couturissime as the must-see show of the season.
Model Iris Strubegger wears a bustier from the Thierry Mugler spring/summer 1989 show, titled Les Atlantes.
Glass, Plexiglas, PVC, faux fur, vinyl, latex and chrome—these are just a few of the avant-garde materials employed by visionary Thierry Mugler to craft his bold silhouettes and cement his iconic place in fashion history.
After wildly acclaimed stops in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and France since its launch in 2019, the exhibition concludes its tour in Brooklyn. On view Nov. 18 to May 7, 2023, at the Brooklyn Museum, the global exhibition explores the fascinating world of the French designer by showcasing nearly 130 outfits—most on view for the first time. The exhibition will also include accessories, videos, photographs, sketches and a special gallery dedicated to fragrances.
“Building on the Brooklyn Museum’s history of celebrating the trailblazing French couturiers Jean Paul Gaultier in 2013, Pierre Cardin in 2019 and Christian Dior in 2021, we’re thrilled for our audiences to experience Thierry Mugler: Couturissime,” says Matthew Yokobosky, senior curator of fashion and material culture at the museum. “Originally a ballet dancer, Thierry Mugler was a designer who intimately understood the mechanics of the body and had extensive knowledge of materials and production. He used this expertise to create empowering visions for all people, especially women, including his archetypal superheroine silhouettes.”
Celebrated as one of the most adventurous designers of the late 20th century and developing the look of the “glamazon” (a conflation of “glamour” and “Amazon”) in the 1970s; worn by luminaries like Beyoncé, Cardi B and Kim Kardashian—we think his work still clearly speaks to today.
Photography by: PHOTO BY MARCUS PRITZI/COURTESY OF MUGLER ARCHIVES
