Thierry Mugler: Couturissime at Kunsthal Rotterdam

18.10.2019 | Art , Blog , Fashion | BY:

Cover Image: Manfred Thierry Mugler , Photo by Max Abadian

Last spring Montreal Museum of Fine Arts launched an exhibition at its headquarters in collaboration with the Clarins Group and the Maison Mugler. The exhibit titled “Theirry Mugler: Couturissime” showcases some of the work of the great French creator Thierry Mugler through his time as a couturier, director, photographer and perfumer with a special focus on his ready-to.wear and haute couture creations. After closing its doors in Montreal, the exhibition has now found its way to the Kunsthal Museum in Rotterdam having opened only a few days ago. 

It features over 140 ensembles, many of which are being put display for the very first time since their creation between 1973 and 2001, with an additional collection of stage costumes, videos and sketches. Of course imagery also plays a major part, as the photographs of industry icons such as Avedon, Bourdin, Goude, LaCapelle, Newton, Ritts and Isserman have been curated all around the gallery to give an even wider perspective of the mythical extravagance which surrounded and still surrounds the designer.  

“I have always been fascinated by the most beautiful animal on Earth: the human being. I have used all of the tools at my disposal to sublimate this creature: fashion, shows, perfumes, photography, video… I am not a person who dwells in the past, but the MMFA, through Nathalie Bondil, was the first to propose to me to stage my creations and imagine together a free, global and reinvented artistic vision. How could I refuse?” said creator Manfred Thierry Mugler. 

Thierry Mugler: Couturissime is only display at Kunsthal Rotterdam from October 13th 2019 to March 8th 2020. 

Yesmin Le Bon wearing Thierry Mugler photographed at the London Palladium for ES Magazine
Patrice Stable, Outfit by Thierry Mugler
Helmut Newton, Outfit by Thierry Mugler
David LaChapelle, Outfit by Thierry Mugler

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Hyun Mi Nielson Spring/Summer 2019

10.12.2018 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Founder of Hyun Mi Nielsen, Christine Mi Nielsen is an experienced and ambitious Danish designer who has creatively served at some of the most renowned fashion houses such as Givenchy, Balenciaga and head womenswear designer at Alexander McQueen. Throughout her journey, she has worked with and under many creatives at the helm of these houses known for their distinctive and at times iconic pieces. However in July of 2016, after her departure from Balenciaga, the designer  decided to launch her own label, “ I have never wanted to start my own label. The thought never occurred to me until I was asked: “Why don’t you start your own?!”.  That was where it all began, since then she has been invited by the French Fashion Federation to showcase during Couture Week and has launched four couture collections. The latest being Spring/Summer 2019, entitled hybrids. The collection explores the fusions made possible by a multicultural world, veiled sheep herds, fetish culture and post war street style. The construction, styling and photography has a punk poetic ring which leaves you in some sort of trance craving for more.  Plunging necklines, leather bustiers and distorted colourful prints, Twin sits down with the designer to get further insight on the collection.

What was the inspiration behind the most recent collection? 

Magpies, travellers, 70’ties, free spirits, punk, there are also a soft under current of SM and something ethnic. 

Would you say your work and style has somewhat been influenced by the designers you’ve previously worked with? 

I think all people to some degree or another is shaped by their past and my working life is a part of my past.

Where , what or who do you look to for inspiration ? 

I get inspired by the most things in nature, art or just walking down the street. I love to do research, images or developing techniques or volumes. But I have some reoccurring themes I love punks, free spirits, 70’ties etc.

What fashion school did you attend and when did you graduate ? 

I did my BA at The Danish Design School – today it the school has changed name  and become a part of The Royal Academie of Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark. I graduated my MA from the Royal College of Art and Design in London.

How does music and pop culture influence your brand (if it does)? 

I listen to a lot of different music, and definitely love pop music. I for example love artist like Beyonce and the British singer Farai.

What person in the public eye today would you class as the Hyun Mi Nelsen poster woman? 

There are alot of strong, working women I’d love to see dressed in HYUN MI NIELSEN. But as you ask, ‘in the public eye’, my answer is Beyonce. She has already worn the label in the video Apeshit. I’d love to see her dressed in it again.

You of course have a tonne of experience under your belt, working with different designers and attending fashion school. Do you think it’s absolutely compulsory to attend fashion school to be a designer or is gaining sufficient experience enough to get started? 

No, today is not necessary. But why go? It is FUN! And you have time to experiment in a supportive, creative environment and meet like minded people.

What’s next for you ?  A/W 19 and lot of adventures.

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DIOR

Dior Reimagines Couture For SS16

28.01.2016 | Fashion | BY:

Haute couture isn’t something that’s typically thought of as cool. Beautiful? Yes. Incredibly intricate, ostentatiously unique and mind-blowingly accomplished? Yes. Rebellious? Absolutely. But cool? No. Well, turns out, someone didn’t give the seven-strong team behind Christian Dior‘s spring summer 2016 collection that memo.

What was presented to a predictably packed audience in Paris’s Musée Rodin on Monday was as deliciously unkempt as the bookshelves lining the Seine. Despite the departure of Raf Simons – the undoubtedly refreshing and oft-lauded face of modernity at the historic French house – this was a collection of magnificently wearable, works of art.

Starchy silhouettes were compromised with flashes of bare shoulder – not in a calculated ‘cut-out’ manner – but as if the model had been gesticulating too wildly and somehow shrugged one side of her previously ladylike look off. Because of course Dior is ladylike. Even when it’s sending punkish sheer tops layered underneath prom dresses down the catwalk, the hair remains in a perfect side part, and the cheeks delicately rouged.

DIOR

Christian Dior Haute Couture SS16

In addition to this, hemlines of voluminous silk dresses cascaded messily from beneath embroidered, tobacco-hued wool coats that were just that bit too short, and the breast-plate of stiff tops exploded provocatively in a fanning wave of ruffles around models’ décolletage.

There is no denying that haute couture as a whole, has become infinitely more realistic in its approach to cut and day-to-day use in recent years. Even the handful of super rich clients who buy this stuff have some kind of ‘cost per wear’ gauge. But – that doesn’t mean it’s become boring. Far from it. In fact, the true inventiveness now is in the attitude conveyed by the most beautiful of clothes. As Christian Dior themselves echoed in their statement this week:

“The spontaneous, relaxed Parisienne of today is Couture by nature, down to the smallest details, but modern in spirit. It’s her attitude, her way of moving, her way of simply being.”

DIOR

Christian Dior Haute Couture SS16

dior.com

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Twin Backstage: Ralph & Russo

15.07.2014 | Fashion | BY:

In the last of our Autumn/Winter 2014 Haute Couture coverage, Twin sent photographer Masao Yufu backstage at the Ralph & Russo show in Paris. This is what he saw.

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Twin Backstage: Adeline Andre

14.07.2014 | Fashion | BY:

Our Autumn 2014 couture show coverage continues with a look at all the goings on behind the scenes of the Adeline Andre show in Paris.

Photography: Masao Yufu

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Twin Backstage: Zuhair Murad

14.07.2014 | Fashion | BY:

Next in our haute couture series, Twin takes a look at photographer Masao Yufu‘s backstage coverage at Lebanese fashion designer Zuhair Murad’s show in Paris.

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TWIN BACKSTAGE: ALEXIS MABILLE

11.07.2014 | Fashion | BY:

Our couture week coverage continues with a behind the scenes look at the Alexis Mabille show.

Photography: Masao Yufu

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TWIN BACKSTAGE: ON AURA TOUT VU

09.07.2014 | Fashion | BY:

With Haute Couture Fashion Week well underway, Twin called upon photographer Masao Yufu to document what happened backstage at the On Aura Tout Vu show in Paris.

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A More Travelled Dior Woman

05.07.2013 | Fashion | BY:

“I began by looking at women from different continents and cultures,” explained Raf Simons when talking about the recent creations he sent down the catwalk during couture fashion week. His third collection as artistic director of the infamous house was worldlier than its predecessors. “The collection evolved to be about Dior not just being about Paris and France, but about the rest of the world and how many fashion cultures impact on the house and on myself,” the Belgian designer added. These influences came from Europe, America, Asia and Africa and the collection itself was split into four, each lending its own culture to the beautiful designs.

Not only were we introduced to a more modern, multi-cultural Dior women but we were also introduced to Dior Haute Couture the way four very different, highly respected fashion photographers see it. Willy Vanderperre (The Americas), Terry Richardson (Africa), Patrick Demarchelier (Europe) and Paolo Roversi (Asia) were given their own nation to express and took photographs before the show, which were then projected above the catwalk as the models walked down the runway.

With a magnitude of embroidery, billowing silk and a plethora of silhouettes, now the Dior woman can be transported to the country of her choice when dressing for that special occasion.

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The Couture Collective

10.07.2012 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

This year’s Autumn/Winter 2012 haute couture shows were another testament to signature style. Be it the modern romance of Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli or Giambattista Valli’s ever-enticing plays on volume and silhouettes, the one unifying factor  throughout every collection was a representation of each brand’s true essence, underlined by highly-refined tailoring and draping.

Twin selects our favourite personal visions of the season…

 

Bouchra Jarrar

Couture cool is Jarrar’s calling card and although those expecting overtly dramatic ball gowns or extravagant embellishments from couture may be disappointed, her softly draped tunic dresses and forties-esque trench coat top and A-line, knife-pleated skirt combinations add a modern yet elegant touch to the couture circuit. As they say, sometimes less is more.

 

 

Chanel

This season Karl Lagerfeld saw it as his mission to put a new spin on vintage. While the collection managed to revamp classics such as the tweed suit, tea dresses and peter pan collars in a colour palette that included soft shades such as petal rose and cream, its true appeal was in the unmatchable craftsmanship of the house of Chanel. Hundred upon hundreds of hand-sewn sequins and a breathtaking feather, lace and tulle finale dress were just two examples that further solidified the label’s spot at the top of couture pyramid.

 

Dior

Couture week undoubtedly belonged to Raf Simons. Although he might have not been the most obvious successor to Galliano’s theatrical showings, the Belgian designer’s minimalist aesthetic has proved the perfect partner to Christian Dior’s original elegant and strongly feminine designs. Peplum waist tops and dresses paired with straight cut trousers, not to mention the two-sided evening gowns with crystal embellishments put a refreshingly modern spin on New Look-esque silhouettes.

 

Gambattista Valli

Nymph creatures and a fairytale narrative were woven into every fibre of Valli’s designs. Rich emerald greens and ruby garnet florals were printed on high-necked ruffled cocktail dresses and evening gowns cinched in at the waist with gold ivy belts. With a beautiful play of volume and colour, the collection was an all-round dream.

 

Givenchy

Riccardo Tisci’s tribal warrior was equipped with face-obscuring sunglasses and menacing dogs, but that didn’t keep the collection from being feminine and alluring, thanks to halter necklines and iridescent ombre fringing. In short, it was a well-balanced mixture of elegance, urbanism and the beauty of nature.

 

Maison Martin Margiela

In the light of the brand’s upcoming collaboration with high street retailer H&M, some fear that the house of Margiela will succumb to commercialism. However this collection was a piece of avant-garde artistry. From the crystal face masks to the dynamic collages of fabric and textures. Refreshing and original, it proved why Maison Martin Margiela more than deserves a permanent spot on the haute couture schedule.

Valentino

Midnight blue dresses, fully-sequined, brocade printed and embroidered cocktail pieces, as well as floor-length pleated chiffon gowns made this collection one of typical Valentino glamour, whilst  canary yellow, magenta and blood red added rich pops of colour. In our eyes, Chiuri and Piccioli can do no wrong.

 

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The Haute Roundup

27.01.2012 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Yesterday marked the end of the Spring/Summer 2012 couture shows. The proverbial creme de la creme of fashion, only allowed to show during this three-day short Fashion Week through a Chambre Syndicale De La Haute Couture membership – haute couture doesn’t mean high dressmaking in French for nothing – showed a degree of craftsmanship and attention to detail all across the fashion spectrum.

Twin recounts our haute couture highlights from Paris…

Alexis Mabille

Proving that haute couture doesn’t have to keep to a demure palette, Mabille punched up the colour factor with his neon designs. Inspired by photographs of Lisa Fonssagrives and Christy Turlington, the creations in fabrics ranging from metallic lame to guipure lace proved that even when it comes to couture, girls just want to have fun.

Bouchra Jarrar

Working with crepe de soie, fur collars and wide-legged tailored trousers, Jarrar’s collection was a take on casual luxe. A bit of tomboy and a dash of urban sophisticate resulted in a whole lot of effortless cool.

Chanel

No couture week is complete without Karl Lagerfeld’s latest mind musings. Taking the double Cs to a more ethereal place this time around (airplane runway, anyone?) resulted in a collection of beautifully hand-embellished pieces in icy blues, ivories and midnight blacks.

Elie Saab

Elie Saab is the go-to designer for anything feminine and delicate, and this season was no exception. Lace and crystal embroidery on nude, pastel pink and pale lemon high-waisted dresses and A-line skirts made being a woman that bit more enticing.

Giambattista Valli

It may only be Valli’s second showing on the haute couture circuit, but the Italian designer proves that he can hold his own among fashion’s heavyweights. With a plethora of expertly tailored feather, lace and embroidered pieces, he’s as couture as they come.

Jean Paul Gaultier

In a beehive and winged eyeliner tribute to Amy Winehouse, Gaultier sent out a collection that was every bit as eccentric and nonchalant as the late singer herself. Encompassing pieces such as back to black shirt-tail hem skirts, leather varsity jackets and silk kimono coats tied at the waist, Winehouse probably wouldn’t have wanted her couture any other way.

Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal

Leave it to the house of Margiela to put an unconventional spin on couture. Rope, braided bracelets and hundreds of pearlescent buttons were turned into  knee-length trench coats, colourful micro dresses, and slouchy blazer and pegged trouser combos, proving that recycled fashion doesn’t have to be drab.

Valentino

It has only taken a few seasons for Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri to fully establish their trademark of girlish and graceful designs at Valentino. Marking a sweet end to haute couture fashion week, this collection of chiffon, lace and tulle in fine floral prints had a glamourised Charlotte Brontë/Jane Austen novel feel to it. Piccioli and Chiuri clearly have a talent for capturing fashion daydreams.

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