THE LADIES AND THE VAMP! THE MANHATTAN VINTAGE
CLOTHING & ANTIQUE TEXTILES SHOW
PAYS TRIBUTE TO FASHION GENIUS
THIERRY MUGLER
Sexy Fashions Created for Mugler “Vamp”
On View & For Sale in Special Exhibit
April 20-21
News-Antique.com - Apr 11,2007 - Outrageously sexual, often shocking, dramatic and bold in line. Definitely not for the "fashion timid". New Yorkers will be able to thrill to the super-sexy, fashion-forward genius of designer Thierry Mugler when Manhattan’s favorite vintage clothing event, The Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show & Antique Textile Show & Sale, returns to the Metropolitan Pavilion on April 20-21, 2007. The show, which is called “Vamp” in tribute to Mugler’s sensual, vampy style, is organized and curated by Elyce Tetorka, Fashion Institute of Technology graduate student in the Fashion and Textiles Studies: History, Theory and Museum Practice program.
Patricia Hearst has said of him, “Thierry’s clothes make you look and feel like a vamp and a goddess – quite an intoxicating combination.” Since launching his own label in 1973, Thierry Mugler has exhibited in his work all the sexy and erotic elements that couture has to offer. His unswerving vision, the most chic form of fetishism, features a molded silhouette of a 19th century cinched waist with exaggerated shoulders and hips. Science-fiction and fantasy themes realized in black leather, rubber, latex, and metal run through his collections.
But it is his suits that are the quintessential example of his vision. In describing his fashion philosophy, Thierry Mugler said, “I find a woman more beautiful and at her best when she shows her inner passion – when she is wearing a suit. A very strict suit. But then when she moves, the skirt opens up high on her thigh... or you may find out that she is naked under her jacket.”
The Thierry Mugler’s exhibit is comprised of the exclusive suit collection which he created for one of his favorite vamps -- Larissa’ --. All are available for purchase. The collection includes several black suits, in which his trademark silhouette is executed, a black chiffon evening gown with velvet appliquéd flames, a linen day dress known as “The Sicilian Widow,” and a full-length shearling coat with a series of metal rings inspired by the late nineties craze for body piercing. The designs represent Mugler’s artistic utilization of solid colors and sharp, elegant lines created for those with a strong, confident attitude.
Thierry Mugler was born in 1948 in Strasbourg, soon became a child prodigy at that city's School of Fine Arts and by the age of 14 was dancing with the Rhine Opera Ballet. By 20 he had moved to Paris and was beginning his design career. He has remained uniquely visionary over the years, working with fabrics ranging from taffeta to muslin, and with such unusual materials as coconut fibers, chrome, latex and plastic. While Mugler's fashion house didn't survive the 1990s, vintage versions of his more wearable clothes are still popular and much in demand.
The best place to start your own Mugler collection is at The Manhattan Vintage Clothing & Antique Textile Sale, where dozens of dealers will be showcasing his fashions as well as those of other top designers. According to vintage fashion specialist, Alice Lindholm of Right to the
