NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Draped in an archival cocoon cape and dragonfly printed bodysuit, Kylie Jenner paid homage to the late French designer Manfred Thierry Mugler and his revolutionary artistry, now on display at the Brooklyn Museum.
The traveling exhibit marked its fifth stop with a Tuesday night opening celebration in New York, where Mugler lived for 15 years. The famed French designer, notable for his structured corsets and jackets with dramatic shoulders,
In an ushering of the new guard, Mugler鈥檚 newest creative director Casey Cadwallader guided the youngest adult member of as the pair gazed upon the complexities of Mugler鈥檚 futuristic superwoman designs. For Cadwallader, seeing the culmination of Mugler鈥檚 designs felt daunting.
鈥淚t makes me realize what I have to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have big boots to fill.鈥�
The museum crowd gathered around Jenner and Cadwallader as the two appreciated Mugler鈥檚 1999 sheer gown that Jenner had only worn a week before at
The Metamorphosis room was filled with Mugler pieces mimicking the natural world of bugs and undersea creatures. A pale green cape was curiously missing from the designs collected in the room 鈥� until Jenner, clad in the creation, took her place onstage alongside the other insect-inspired couture. She would later undergo a metamorphosis of her own, donning a corseted gown and bejeweled headpiece for photographers on the carpet.
Guests moved from each room of the exhibit in awe of the way the exhibit married the museum鈥檚 interactive and immersive installations with Mugler鈥檚 boundary pushing ready-to-wear and couture collections. Guests posed for photos and admired mannequins dressed in Mugler classics from his 鈥渄erri猫re d茅collet茅鈥� dress and eyebrow-raising 鈥減iercing dress鈥� to his nod to dominatrix style.
In the Mugler Lab room, guests could take in the scents of Mugler鈥檚 perfume collection, founded in 1992, before being greeted by Mugler鈥檚 intricately made 鈥淟a Chim猫re鈥� sheath gown in the next room. The gown 鈥� lined with scales and feathers is and straight out of a sci-fi fantasy world 鈥� is one of the exhibit鈥檚 showstoppers, with embroidery that reportedly took more than a thousand hours.
The fashion house has always embraced the power of celebrity: Mugler鈥檚 innovative creations have been worn by the likes of superstars David Bowie, Grace Jones and Madonna, and at the height of the '90s supermodel moment, Mugler dubbed his models 鈥済lamazons鈥� who embodied their prowess as they strutted down his theatrical runways.
Tuesday鈥檚 event was a continuation of that ethos. The brand's evolution can be illustrated by tracing the starpower of the celebrities who wore Mugler's designs in the 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s to the influencer elite in attendance at the Brooklyn Museum. The night was a spectacle of social media stars posing for pictures while sporting the brand鈥檚 statement spiral leggings.
Actor and it girl of the moment Julia Fox arrived at the event wearing a bolero suit jacket with the classic Mugler shoulders and a hip-hugging skirt.
鈥淢ugler has been such an inspiration to me since forever,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is a huge honor to be here and to be wearing his clothes.鈥�
The exhibit opens to the public Friday and runs through May 7, 2023.
Beatrice Dupuy, The Associated Press
