Thierry Mugler: Alien to Angel

The FIDM Museum Fashion Council celebrated the opening of our latest exhibition, Thierry Mugler: Alien to Angel, this Saturday, December 9 on the FIDM Orange County Campus. The show incorporates photography, fashion objects, perfume bottles, sketches, and accessories to highlight the career of Thierry Mugler, the unconventional French designer who championed the highly structured silhouettes of the 1980s. Mugler was famous for his spectacularly themed fashion shows and his portrayal of feminine yet powerful women on the runway. Though he now concentrates on costume design rather than haute couture or ready-to-wear, the Mugler brand remains successful thanks to his best-selling perfume lines (including the pioneering gourmand scent Angel and it's sister line Alien). A delightful French-themed champagne luncheon was served at the opening before attendees got the first look at the Mugler objects on display. Three speakers then delved into the world of French fashion, exploring Thierry Mugler's career, his inspiration from classic film costume, and the exclusive retail industry that supported him. The day finished with an incredible surprise donation from The Costumer's Guild West, Inc.: the group generously adopted two objects for the FIDM Museum Permanent Collection - a mantle worn by Queen Victoria, and a Beer mantle belonging to Czarina Maria of Russia. What an extraordinary gift to close out a banner year for the FIDM Museum! Thierry Mugler: Alien to Ange will be open on the FIDM Orange County campus (17590 Gillette Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614) until August 2018. Members of the public are welcome to attend by appointment; please call 949.851.6200 to schedule your visit! 

Coat, 1990-1992 Wool, cotton & rayon FIDM Museum Purchase 2005.5.24 

Custom cookie designed to match a Thierry Mugler object in the exhibition! (Tasted as good as it looked). 

Suit, Spring/Summer 1992 Polyester & metal FIDM Museum Purchase 2001.5.6A-C 

Custom Mugler star hand-crafted by FIDM Museum Gallery Director Peter Lam. 

Ensemble, c. 1990 Cotton & metal Gift of Lori Blaser 2015.1439.1AB 

Fashion Council Members Donald Damask & Joan Beer Damask (left and right) with FIDM Museum Fashion Council Chair Mima Ransom (center). 

Attendees get their first look at the new exhibition Thierry Mugler: Alien to Angel. 

FIDM Museum Coordinator Leigh Wishner (left) and Registrar Meghan Hansen (right). 

Event speakers: FIDM Museum Associate Joanna Abijaoude (left), Film Costume Historian Kimberly Truhler of GlamAmor (center), and FIDM Museum Associate Curator Christina Johnson (right). 

FIDM Museum Curator Kevin Jones accepts a generous donation from Mela Hoyt-Heydon on behalf of the Costumer's Guild West, Inc.