Legendary French fashion designer Thierry Mugler, known for his dramatic and avant garde designs, died Sunday. He was 73.
Mugler's death was announced on his official Instagram account. "RIP. We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday January 23rd 2022," the announcement said. "May his soul Rest In Peace."
No cause of death was given.
The designer's fashion house also confirmed the news of Mugler's death "with deep sadness" Sunday evening. "A visionary whose imagination as a couturier, perfumer and image-maker empowered people around the world to be bolder and dream bigger everyday," the House of Mugler official Instagram account said.
USA TODAY has reached out to Mugler's reps for comment.
The celebrated fashion designer's death comes five days after the Jan. 23 death of André Leon Talley, the visionary former creative director of Vogue magazine.
RIP André Leon Talley: Fashion industry icon and former creative director of Vogue, dead at 73
Related:Kim Kardashian describes Mugler's creation at 2019 Met Gala
Born December 21, 1948, in Strasbourg, France, Mugler launched his first fashion collection called "Café de Paris" in 1973.
In an interview with WWD magazine published in September, Mugler spoke about his early beginnings in fashion. "… All I wanted to do was this very pure, Parisian silhouette: the little black suit, the trenchcoat, the black dress, the siren dress," Mugler said.
"I did the first nude body-conscious dress. Nobody was doing nude at that time. My first ready-to-wear line was called Café de Paris, and it was all about a very precise, streamlined silhouette, very strongly influenced by dance."
Mugler became internationally recognized as a designer during the 1980s and 1990s. He designed one of the most famous gowns of the 90s, which appeared in the 1993 romance/drama "Indecent Proposal," starring Demi Moore. Moore donned the timeless black cut-out velvet backless number while giving the classic line: "The dress is for sale, I'm not."
Mugler retired from fashion in 2002, but in more recent years, the designer's iconic looks have been worn by high-profile entertainers including Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Cardi B, David Bowie, Miley Cyrus, Nicole Kidman, Bella Hadid and Diana Ross.
In 2009, Mugler worked as Beyoncé's artistic advisor and created the costumes for her "I Am… World Tour."
At the 2019 Met Gala, Kardashian wore a creation made of silk organza, crystals and silicone to the Vogue event. Kardashian described her fashion and beauty look as "California girl, stepping out of the ocean onto the red carpet, wet and dripping."
Mugler has dressed Kardashian on several occasions, including a daring vintage design from his spring/summer '98 collection, which Kardashian wore to 2019's 5th Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards. The gown featured a cutout design at the top, with thin straps going across her torso, and a thigh-high slit.
Mugler also created Kardashian's 2021 Halloween costume, an out-of-this-world "CowBot" ensemble featuring a silver bra with a star motif and metallic shorts.
When asked by WWD magazine about dressing Kardashian, Mugler called her "truly a self-made woman, and she says so herself."
In 2019, Mugler also dressed rapper Cardi B for the Grammy Awards, where she stunned in a vintage Mugler gown. The oyster shell gown was an archive piece from Mugler Couture's fall 1995 collection.
In Mugler's interview with WWD, the designer called Cardi B "extremely sophisticated in her own way, she really takes it to the max."
"When I dressed her for the Grammy Awards in 2019, people were blown away. Her performance was incredible and people were stunned, because the direction, the lighting, the choreography — everything was flawless," Mugler said.
Mugler published his first photography book in 1988, titled “Thierry Mugler: Photographer.” In 1998, he published “Fashion Fetish Fantasy,” a collection of photos of his creations.
Speaking to WWD about whether Mugler was planning a fashion comeback, the designer responded: "I have very, very good ideas and I hope to execute them well. That’s all I will say."
"Fashion is still a great tool because it’s a three-dimensional art," he said. "It’s the most feral form of art, in the best sense of the word, meaning that it touches on the human, and that’s interesting."
More:Virgil Abloh's final show: Louis Vuitton, stars honor late designer at Paris Fashion Week
