Manfred Thierry Mugler, the pioneering designer known for his metamorphic silhouettes and the best-selling perfume, Angel, died on Sunday at the age of 73.

“We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler… May his soul Rest In Peace,” read an announcement released on his Instagram account late Sunday evening. The cause of death is not yet known.

His avant-garde fashion label was one of the most influential in the 1980s and 1990s. Mugler stepped away from his brand in 2003 but created a stir when he designed Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look in 2019. A retrospective exhibition of his work opened in Montréal in March 2019 and has toured the world, most recently popping up at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in October 2021.

The Mugler label, now owned by L’Oréal, has experienced a resurgence under the watch of American designer Casey Cadwallader, whose custom pieces have been worn Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Chloë Sevigny and others.

Stay tuned to BoF for updates to this developing story.

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The Last Metamorphosis of Mugler

The designer, who died on Sunday, was an icon of a golden age in fashion.