Mugler Spring Summer 2013 Collection

Wednesday September 26, 2012 – Cité de l’Architecture & du Patrimoine

Nicola Formichetti and Sebastien Peigné brought equatorial heat to the concrete jungle for their latest Spring 2013 collection, infusing sculptural designs, hourglass silhouettes, and bold tropical colors into the urban street girl archetype. The show notes mentioned “Mexico City to South East Asia” as sources of inspiration but we’re more inclined to believe that Nicola’s affinity for vacationing in Tulum and working on magazine shoots in Japan had some influence as well.

Though Formichetti is an avid proponent of social networking medias, his choice of a single-sided runway inside of the Cité de l’Architecture positioned the audience to view the clothes like they would view a film; perhaps a subtle nudge to have attendees focus on the presentation, not their status updates. But the subtleties would have been unnecessary, given that the duo put out their most mature collection to date.

Deconstructing the futuristic frocks that makeup the Mugler paradigm resulted in separates that kept the brand’s DNA while making it easier for folks to mix and match looks. Take for example the series of opening numbers with knife-pleated skirts that would look just as great with the rust toned silk scarf top or ‘opium’ burgundy varnished lambskin tee. Scuba knitwear miniskirt-short hybrids and sliced armorial accents on pants, skirts, and dresses conveyed a sense of rigidness and sturdy construction that contrasted beautifully against lantern sleeve shaped skirts and kimono-like blouses that conveyed a feeling of fluidity and ease. Ink printed mylar tees, with emblazoned hues of orange, reds and sky blues, look like they were plucked from Nicola’s memories of a beautiful summer sunset on Playa Del Carmen. Peigné and his team appeared to have fun with prints, taking a white tiger head print and placing it on a burnt rust tone pleated skirt giving the impression of seeing the majestic creature peer his head out from amongst tall bamboo stalks.

But the show wasn’t just a forum to display the latest RTW. In fact, my first point about the set design begins to make sense when you consider that this was the Mugler house’s first foray into handbags. With each model sporting the newest bags on their left hand, everyone was treated to getting their first look at Formichetti’s designs. The most notable of these were the rigid, sac-à-main clutches which harken the Mugler design ethos, but with infused exotic leathers for added effect. The results are artisanally built bags that simultaneously convey a not-so-subtle sensuality with a futuristic sophistication.

And while she was busy on tour in Zurich that night, Lady Gaga’s presence as musical director was still felt as her yet-to-be released track ‘Cake’ was remixed by Michel Gaubert for the show. Azealia Banks, herself a front-row attendee alongside the Courtin Clarins sisters, had her “Esta Noche” track make its own cameo for the show.

Perhaps the most paradoxical of all sentiments that one takes away from this Mugler show is that despite all of its multi-faceted components, they all seemed to have come together as one unified idea; a formula that has served Formichetti and Peigné well these past few seasons and which seems to be the secret to their meteoric successes.

Visit Mugler.com for more

Mugler Spring 2013 video

See all the photos below:

Photos and video courtesy of Stylerumor.com
Makeup by Val Garland
Hair by Sam McKnight
Music by Lady Gaga remixed by Michel Gaubert