Thierry Mugler's Stars, Angels & The Source

It was a star-filled night. Thierry Mugler unveiled The Source at Tuesday’s InStyle Magazine summer social. It was an impressive space-age looking fountain dispensing the company’s top fragrances.

When Thierry Mugler’s Angel perfume debuted, it was the must-have fragrance that every one of my fashion school friends and I had to have. The fashion designer was already a constant source of inspiration to us in our design sketches.  We were in love with the innovative star-shaped cut glass bottle that was so innovative at the time. It is still one of my favorite bottle designs.

In the 1990’s, it seemed to be a decade of “clean” fragrances and androgyny. There were a lot of watery scents that were chic for its time, but not sexy. Then Angel came along. It was described as the first “gourmand” fragrance. This was a term in the beauty industry that would become very important as countless brands followed Mugler’s lead in the years to come. The “gourmand” aspect of this perfume referred to the notes of vanilla, caramel, berries and bergamot. These were aromas associated with food rather than things like flowers. The perfumers figured out these flavors were already aphrodisiacs in food, why not the body?

At the summer social, representatives treated guests to mini versions of the Alien and Angel perfumes filled from the fountain. The futuristic look of the bottle and fountain takes its inspiration from 18^th Century luxuries. Wealthy aristocrats would collect intricately carved crystal bottles filled with their favorite scent. Marie Antoinette even indulged in her personal perfume fountain. Now super-fans of Thierry Mugler can enjoy a version of that by refilling their bottles at The Source fountain. It’s an eco-friendly way to prolong your time with your favorite bottle.

Reach for the stars and you might find your Angel.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Single Edition Media on behalf of Thierry Mugler

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Punk, Goth, Sex: Fashion Mates Music

Punk was a music movement that ruled England in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  Malcolm McLaren managed the top bands of the era like the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls.  A former schoolteacher, McLaren’s new wife brought the punk movement to fashion by infusing clothes with safety pins, chains and bondage. She is now of course, British fashion icon Vivienne Westwood.

In the 1990’s, Jean-Paul Gaultier was the bad boy of the designer set with his bleached spiky hair and fetish-inspired outfit.  His cone cup bras were synonymous with Madonna’s dominance in that decade.  His fetish inspired looks mixed punk with nineties decadence.

Thierry Mugler and supermodels took over as the look of George Michael’s top hit, Too Funky.  Rock n’roll and fetish wear became the official uniform of the song.  The designer himself directed the video with a runway filled with motorcycle bustiers, latex catsuits and metalized bodysuits.

Punk gave way to grunge.  Marc Jacobs became a household name more for his firing from Perry Ellis before succeeding with his own label.  Thrift stores were plundered for Doc Martens and old plaid shirts when alternative bands like Nirvana dominated MTV.

Punk fashion took on Goth, mixing fetish elements and corsetry.  Lady Gaga’s quick pop icon status owed a lot to the unforgettable fashion statements she made in every public appearance.  Her longtime collaborator, Nicola Formichetti went on to be appointed as creative director to fashion house Thierry Mugler, a perfect fit.  With fresh meat dresses, cross dressing and body modification, Lady Gaga brought a whole new level to anarchy when it came to busting fashion taboos.  That is more punk in attitude than a bunch of safety pins will ever be. 

Need a soundtrack for YOUR personal runway? 
Listen and Download the exclusive Nina Sky track for ORGNL.TV by Stoli!

Does Nina Sky think musicians influence fashion today?  

" Majorly, people love to listen to music and keep up with their favorite artists, from their latest videos to what they're wearing... So of course it would influence fashion trends. Also, music inspires creativity and fashion designers are artists in their own right. I think the music they listen to ultimately helps set the tone and theme of their collections."

Sponsored by Stoli. Savor Stoli Responsibly. STOLICHNAYA® Premium Vodka. 40% Alc/Vol. Distilled from grain. William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY. © 2012 Spirits International, B.V

Photos from billyidol.net, Herb Ritts, Mike Southon,

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Malibu Style - Cars and Fashion

Industrial design and  fashion design are incestuous in their muses.   Sleek, fast cars like the new Chevy Malibu are inspired by the lifestyles of the drivers.  Fashion designers inspired by the electric colors, hot metal and luxurious interiors of their favorite cars.

One of my favorite vehicle-inspired fashion pieces growing up was the Thierry Mugler motorcycle corset made famous in George Michael’s Too Funky music video in the 1990’s. 

Rich red chrome makes any fashion statement look hot.  A car’s details has inspired more than one designer on and off the runway.  Prada’s spring accessories sported tail fins and classic car details on their shoes and handbags.  A sequin embroidered dress from Miss Selfridge mirrors the honeycomb pattern of the Malibu’s front grille.

A sweet ride through the city also inspires an urge for appropriate goodies for driving.  Prada has a great pair of driving gloves in patent leather oxblood.  Kara Ross designed a fantastic necklace in tribute to the City with salvaged concrete and photos of NYC landmarks.  Designer Jennifer Chun’s collection mixes prints and layered urban pieces for a slick, look like the plush interiors of a car.

Need more industrial style and fast driving fashion? Check out our #MalibuStyle Pinterest board!

 Smart technology, impressive styling, a luxurious interior and confident handling all come together in the all-new 2013 @Chevrolet #Malibu to take your drive to the next level.  Discover #MalibuStyle

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Chevy Malibu via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Chevy Malibu

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Fashion, Music and Hollywood Elite for CFDA Awards

The CFDA awards used to be about hardcore fashion industry insiders celebrating their achievements.  Last night's awards though, brought out the top names in music (Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Estelle), Hollywood (Jessica Alba, Olsen Twins, Kirsten Dunst) and journalishm (Andersen Cooper).  Designers, merchants, retailers still ruled the carpet and took home the trophies.

Designer of the year for womenswear was awarded to Proenza Schouler's  Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.  For menswear, Michael Bastian took home the designer honors.  Alexander Wang won the award for Accessories Designer of the Year.

While it seems that the fashion crowd has been aware of Prabal Gurung's achievements for quite some time, he won the Swarovski award for emerging talent.  The forever-hot Marc Jacobs won the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award, (even though he has yet to hit middle age). 


A turquoise-wigged, Thierry Mugler wearing Lady Gaga own the (least surprising, yet highly deserved)  Fashion Icon award.  
photos by  Larry Busacca

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Gaga for Mugler Fall 2011

Were you waiting to feel too funky again? Or am I just dating myself?  I miss Thierry Mugler’s hyper-sexualized fashion rocking the runway.  Lady Gaga’s longtime fashion collaborator Nichola Formichetti was appointed creative director to the Mugler brand and brought it back to the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week.

The show was a mix of Gothic fetish evolved from the slick spirit of classic Mugler.  The backdrop was a stage of pointed cathedral arches.  Formichetti showed alien-like exaggerated shoulders, a signature look of Lady Gaga’s.  Latex-shiny fabrics, dramatic cut-outs and transparent garments that left nothing to the imagination somehow managed to look chic (over trashy).  The muse, Gaga, brought much of the paparazzi with her as she debuted new singles and strutted her body down the runway.  Also haunting the runway was performance artist “Zombie Boy”, famous for corpse-like tattoos added to the other-worldly theme.

This was the multi-media fashion spectacle of 2011.  A mix of music, video, art and fans madly tweeting is not the show of the future, it’s the mode of today.

  Photos by Giovanni Giannoni

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FAB Paris: Contemporary Fashion Exhibit at the Musee Des Arts Decoratifs

Bonjour from Paris darlings. Ms. Fab here is taking a needed vacation overseas. I only have 36 hours here and have decided to spend it surrounded by beautiful clothes. The method easiest on your wallet is the Histoire Ideale de la Mode Contemporaines (History of contemporary fashion) exhibit at the Museum Les Arts Decoratifs.
The exhibit has many of the top Paris-based designers with their most famous, notable pieces of the 1970's and 1980's. Drool over iconic sculpted cone bustier dresses of Jean-Paul Gaultier, sculpted Issey Miyake bodices, architecturally sculpted shoulders from Thierry Muglier and Claude Montana. Dramatically lit, the walls have alsp projected fashion shows of that era so you can see how the pieces were originally presented.
For me, it was seeing the looks up close that inspired me to join fashion in my childhood. For the new guard of designers, it is a showcase of how the masters did it (and do it still!)

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