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Thierry Mugler Spring 2012

fashionologie — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:38:33 PDT

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Nicola Formichetti Debuts Pop-Up Concept Store, Tries to Hit New York Fashion Week Shows for First Time

fashionologie — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:12:14 PDT

>> Nicola Formichetti's concept store, done in collaboration with Gage/Clemenceau Architects, has transformed a space at 80 Walker Street in New York into a massive mirrored prism. For the next two weeks starting tomorrow - with a special preview tonight on the occasion of Fashion's Night Out - Nicola's will be open from 12 to 7 pm daily.

Currently housed within the shop are: vintage Versace pieces, Haus of Gaga looks, Mugler shoes and clothing, and woven and repurposed Uniqlo garb, as well as "Nicopanda" rings, iPod, and iPhone cases - which are all available for sale. New merchandise will be added and rotated frequently throughout the shop's two-week existence, and Formichetti's muse Rico the Zombie Boy, who was present at the press preview earlier today, is expected to act as store manager.

"I was looking for a medium to present all the different aspects of what I do," Formichetti explained of the impetus behind the store. "But now, it's becoming more than that, because I've been collaborating with the architects, and we've been merging different people['s ideas]. For me, it's always about collaboration; it's not just my vision, it's the vision of all the people that I work with."

While he's in New York, he plans to stop by a show or two - which would mark his first time ever attending New York Fashion Week: "Every time I was here [during Fashion Week in the past], I was working on something, or I was working on other shows, so I've never actually spent time in the New York fashion scene. I was talking to my friend, and he was telling me, 'This is the first time you're in New York for Fashion Week.' It's crazy."

So who does Formichetti plan to see? "I wanted to go see Richard Chai this morning; I didn't go. I'm going to go see Patrik, Patrik Ervell - you know, just friends. Who's interesting this week? Like interesting. I don't really care about socializing and things like that."

A look inside Nicola's in the slideshow.

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Nicola Formichetti Planning To Launch His Own Brand in 2012

fashionologie — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:01:05 PDT

>> Nicola Formichetti is starting to give Karl Lagerfeld a run for his money in the how-many-projects-can-I-simultaneously-take-on game. Formichetti, who currently acts as Lady Gaga's stylist, Mugler's creative director, and fashion director for both Uniqlo and Vogue Hommes Japan, recently revealed: "I’m launching my own brand next year." Formichetti, who is planning "Nicola's," a pop-up store in Manhattan to coincide with New York Fashion Week (located at 57 Walker Street from Sept. 8–21), promises that the store will showcase "a sneak preview of what’s coming up in the future" for his namesake brand. [Milk Made]

Nicola Formichetti and Lady Gaga Checked Twitter Right After the Mugler Show

fashionologie — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:52:25 PDT

>> Lady Gaga may be getting the full spread of Mugler's debut women's collection, but magazines won't be. Nicola Formichetti is wary of overexposure and the shortness of the public's attention span that follows, so he's keeping press samples exclusive: “I’m not giving them to every magazine.” But he sees himself as democratic in most other ways, drawing a contrast between his approach and Tom Ford's. “I’m not an elitist,” Formichetti says of his decision to livestream the show and air live video of the backstage kerfuffle. “I want to share what I’m doing with everyone . . . In a way, I wanted to have the people in front of a screen to have a better seat than the people in the front row. I remember straight after the show, me and [Lady] Gaga just ran backstage and went onto our computers and went on Twitter to see what the fans were saying.” [WWD]

Nicola Formichetti Paid Up to $20,000 for His Muse Rico Genest to Get to Paris In Time For the Mugler Show

fashionologie — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:56:18 PDT

>> Nicola Formichetti unearthed Rick Genest - also known as Zombie Boy - on Facebook, and he's walked in both Mugler runway shows (Fall 2011 men's and women's) that Formichetti has done so far, acting in tandem with Lady Gaga as something of a house muse and face of the brand. But it wasn't as simple as contacting Genest through Facebook and flying him into Paris in time for the shows, Formichetti says: "[Genest] emailed me back straightaway and he was like, 'Yeah, sure, I would love to [come to Paris], but I don’t have a passport.'" Later, Formichetti comes to find out "why he couldn’t get a passport: because he was homeless. He had a lot of fines or something because he was always sleeping on the street. ... He just kept telling me, 'I'm not a criminal, I'm not a criminal.' It took him so long to tell us. Oh my God, he was so emotional. He was crying and saying how this was going to change his life. It was a beautiful moment." Formichetti ended up paying the fines - "It was a lot . . . like ten or twenty [thousand dollars]" - himself. [Hint]

According to Nicola Formichetti, Mugler Is "Not So Much About the Clothes"

fashionologie — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:52:19 PST

>> Of Nicola Formichetti's debut Mugler collection on Wednesday, Suzy Menkes pondered, "But did those outfits really make their mark on fashion?" And Style.com noted of the debut: "It didn't blow you away, either in its affinities to Thierry Mugler's originals or with its future vision." But according to Formichetti, neither are important: “I just wanted to bring the fun back. It’s not so much about the clothes.” [IHT]

Lady Gaga Bought the Entire Mugler Collection in Every Color

fashionologie — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:24:45 PST

>> Right before Lady Gaga made her runway debut at Mugler, she told friends, “I want people to see me walk and say, 'She is a Mugler woman.' Seriously, I’m so nervous.” But when she took the runway in her eight- or nine-inch heels, the nerves weren't evident - and afterwards, Mugler creative director Nicola Formichetti said, she had already "bought the entire collection in every color." [Style.com]

Lady Gaga to Walk in Mugler's Fall 2011 Womenswear Show Tomorrow

fashionologie — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:20:50 PST

>> The womenswear debut of new Mugler creative director Nicola Formichetti tomorrow will be marked by another debut: that of Lady Gaga on the runway. The singer, who Formichetti also styles, tweeted: "I'm making my debut as a runway model, walking in the MUGLER PARIS FASHIONSHOW 3/2. I directed the show music, [and will be] previewing [new song] 'Government Hooker.'" Six roving cameras will also show backstage preparations 30 minutes before the livestream on Mugler's Facebook page. [@ladygaga, WWD]

Watch Nicola Formichetti's Mugler Video Featuring Lady Gaga's New Song

fashionologie — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:33:01 PST

>> Nicola Formichetti said he was all about the online, and so far, he's living up to his words. Mugler just released a web-only film today in follow up to Formichetti's debut menswear collection yesterday. The film features Formichetti's muse, the heavily tattooed Rico Zenest, and the new Lady Gaga song (from her upcoming album) that Gaga remixed especially for yesterday's show. Gaga wasn't front row, or even in attendance yesterday, but in the show notes, she said of Formichetti: "I love him, my friend the genius, my collaborator, more more than any piece of clothing or closet I possess. But don't tell him I said that, he'll die. He picked them all out." The short film was directed by fashion photographer Mariano Vivanco.

No Surprise Here - Lady Gaga Will Be Involved in Nicola Formichetti's Debut Mugler Womenswear Collection

fashionologie — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:29:59 PST

>> Thierry Mugler and new Mugler creative director Nicola Formichetti have more than a couple of things in common - neither studied fashion or have any formal design training, and both have strong ties to the pop culture world: Mugler directed and costumed the 1992 George Michael “Too Funky" music video, and more recently did costumes for Beyonce's 2009 tour, while Formichetti works as Lady Gaga's stylist. As Formichetti sums it up: “He was a kind of pop culture punk in a fashion world - and that’s me."

But despite all the similarities, Formichetti was apprehensive about taking the job: "I thought, How can you do something better than Thierry Mugler? He was a fashion god." He continued: “At first I thought I couldn’t do anything better than he did, so I didn’t want to do it. And then I said, 'F*ck it, I’m going to do my thing.'”

So how is he attacking his new role? He oversees two design directors: Sebastien Peigne, a 10-year Balenciaga veteran of Balenciaga, for women’s, and Romain Kremer, who has shown experimental looks under his own label since 2005, for men’s. Formichetti knows how to sketch, he says, but he prefers to work like a stylist, manipulating the clothes and working as a team with Peigne and Kremer to build the desired image. He also looks to the streets and friends for input and inspiration: “I feel more like a curator than a designer. It’s all about different characters and collaborations.”

One of those friends giving input? None other than Lady Gaga, who he says will be involved in his debut women's collection at the upcoming Paris Fashion Week. But she doesn't have a contract with the brand: “It’s me and her just having fun and getting very inspired from the idea of Mugler. She’s very much involved, more in the early stages.” And though she wasn't front row at the men's show today (she created its soundtrack), Formichetti has already created custom Mugler costumes for her upcoming album art, videos, and performances.

The label will be called Mugler instead of Thierry Mugler under Formichetti, and he's reining in his editorial and consulting work, aside from his role as fashion director of Vogue Hommes Japan. "I want people to get excited again, not only fashion people,” Formichetti says of his vision. “I’m not here to re-create what [Thierry Mugler] did. It was perfect for the time. I’m going to do something for today and the future . . . I want to give dreams and fantasy and all those things - and I want people to wear those clothes.”

And he's big on online - forget the usual magazine exclusives, seasonal campaigns and geographic rollouts: “I want to be global, but I want to be digital, instant, direct. I don’t want it to be a ‘normal’ fashion brand. We are always punk and outsider. The great thing about the online world is it’s instant: You get feedback; the feelings of consumers and fans.”