Manfred Thierry Mugler (; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the following decades for his avant-garde, architectural, hyperfeminine and theatrical approach to haute couture. He was one of the first designers to champion diversity in his runway shows, which often tackled racism and ageism, and incorporated non-traditional models such as drag queens, pornstars, and transgender women. In 2002, he retired from the brand, and returned in 2013 as the creative adviser. At the beginning of his career he designed signature looks for Michael Jackson, Madonna, Grace Jones, Duran Duran, Viktor Lazlo, David Bowie and Diana Ross; most notably Demi Moore's dress from the 1993 movie Indecent Proposal, which was once coined "the most famous dress of the 1990s". In 1992, he directed and designed the outfits for George Michael's "Too Funky" music video; also that year he launched the perfume Angel, which became one of the best-selling perfumes of the 20th century. Mugler's fall 1995 haute couture collection, marking the 20th anniversary of his brand, was staged at the Cirque d’Hiver venue in Paris; and has been referred to as the "Woodstock of Fashion", for having over 300 designed looks, an elaborate set design, dozens of high-profile supermodels and a performance from James Brown. He also designed costumes for Beyoncé's I Am... World Tour, and created a one-off design for Kim Kardashian to wear to the 2019 Met Gala. Early life and education Thierry Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France. At the age of 9, he began to study classical dance. By 14, he joined the ballet corps for the Rhin Opera (Opéra national du Rhin). As a teenager, he also began formal interior design training at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts. Career Mugler designed for the London boutiques Mr. Freedom and Mother Wouldn't Like It in the 1960s. In 1971, he began designing clothes for Karim, already showing the broad-shouldered, 1940s-derived looks he would become famous for in later years. In 1972, his full-skirted raincoat became a hit. At the age of 24, Mugler moved to Paris. He began designing clothes for Gudule, a Parisian boutique. At 26, he began to design for a variety of large ready-to-wear fashion houses in Paris, Milan, London and Barcelona. In 1973, Mugler created