Mugler F/W 2011 Paris

Nicola Formichetti unveiled his first women’s collection in Paris as the newly appointed Creative Director for Mugler. Together with Mugler Music Director, Lady Gaga (the government hooker herself), the duo created an out-of-this-world fashion show that was meant to be experienced with all senses.

This collection is a sexy and sinister concoction. It glamorizes the alien-like metamorphosis of the bones and blood of the human anatomy. Thierry Mugler’s signature high and peaking pagoda-like shoulders made a return as well as his killer meldings of plastic, rubber, neoprene, latex, PVC, and sheer nylons. The silhouettes were that of an actual human body for the clothes laid snug and tight as if it were natural layer of extra skin. A few “post human androids” strutted bare-chested in mesh while others wore bone and membrane-like panels exaggerating Formechetti’s creative distortions of their human limbs. The colors remained simple with black, white, and an occasional blue, and green directing more emphasis towards the different textures and materials.

What came through as most enthralling was the pop icon’s final walk. She was adorned with an all-white monotone ensemble that included a corset, body suit, skirt, hat, and sky-high platforms. With her latest single, “Born This Way,” blasting in the background, the android goddess stormed through the gothic arches with extreme power and force showcasing what Formichetti aimed to underline: the empowerment of women and the spirit of being free.

Stripping this fashion “experience” of its music, theatricality, lighting, and infamous Gaga Effect, Formechetti’s collection failed to take us back or anywhere near Thierry Mugler’s original, dream-like world created in the early 1970’s. This strange yet ethereal collection did, however, succeed in creating a strong and solid start for a new generation of Mugler.