THIERRY MUGLER

(b.1948) Thierry Mugler planned to be a ballet dancer, but after growing bored with dancing, he gained employment as a window dresser and design assistant at a Parisian boutique.  He then went to London where he designed for Andre Peters in 1968 and 69.  By 1971 he was back in Paris, where he designed a line called Cafe de Paris.

The Thierry Mugler label was launched in 1973-74.  His clothes were influenced by the glamour of the past - with a hint of 1940s Hollywood or a 1950s sex symbol, but with a harder edge.

In 1992 Mugler introduced a couture line which ran until 2000.  He sold his ready-to-wear division to Clairins, and clothing made after this time has been made under license.  Today the Mugler name is mostly associated with his famous fragrances.