Let’s face it, Theirry Mugler is pretty much bankrolled (as are so many houses these days) by fragrances. In fact, every time a waft of Angel passes beneath our nostrils it spells nothing more than not-so-romantic memories of carelessfree student-hormones-mixed-with-stale-gin. Anyway we digress. Considering for a moment, Mugler’s way-off-the-radar status (like, when’s the label been relevant since the 80’s?) would it seem churlish to suggest all the current brouhaha over Nicola Formichetti’s debut menswear collection as creative director would, fundamentally, be due to a certain Mizz Gaga’s attendance as ‘music director’ for his show? Oh and did we mention, she’ll be debuting a remix of a new album track? For realz! Clothes? What clothes…?

There are so many things in this little fable that irk us more than we really want to pretend actually exist, but- oh, ok, we’ll spill anyway. Firstly: Nicola’s appointment. (OK OK, we know we're late on the bash-his-appointment bandwagon, but hey.) Nicola is a badass stylist. This we are not denying. We all know fashion and music have looong been bedfellows. This much we accept. But when someone is actually bequeathed a job role they are not even – let’s not kid ourselves here – properly qualified for, only being blessed with said role due to their association with The Worlds* Current Fashion Icon, something in the Pommery ain’t clean.

Can someone remind us in fashion history, when has a stylist (with no discernable design training) become creative director of a pretty iconic – though flagging – fashion house? We almost wonder if there was a clause in Formicetti’s contract that Gaga must rear her ugly visage somewhere to ensure some MUCHNEEDEDHYPE. What’s so wrist-slittingly depressing in this tale is not just Gaga’s cynical hijacking of a fashion show (where all spotlight should be on Mugler) for her own sales-hungry gain, moreover that the Gaga-Formichetti-Mugler circle jerk is emblematic of the ever-increasing drip-drip-drip away of fashion houses’ credibility in their rush to butt-fuck the latest blogger/celebrity/scenester.

The grizzly bigger picture is thus: with ever-decreasing sales, one can only listen in despair for the whoosh as the world’s fashion brands (ailing or upstart) clamour to clutch at sartorial-celebrity straws to shout the loudest and be noticed. If Formichetti can pull it outta the bag for Thierry Mugler, awesome. Given the baffling ‘bronze barbarian’ collection tease released so far, we’re gonna reserve judgement.

* Sure as hell ain’t ours

Posted on January 17, 2011 at 11:23:43 by The Real Runway