Ana Llorente: "Mugler is a lesson in courage and in aligning his values with the career he has developed".

Ana Llorente, researcher and lecturer in the Fashion Department at UDIT, University of Design, Innovation and Technology, has just published the book Legends of Fashion: Thierry Mugler, in which she reviews the firm's trajectory, its evolution and the impact of the firm and the designer himself on the fashion sector.

We spoke to the author of the book about the project, the research process and, of course, Manfred Thierry Mugler.

• How did the opportunity to write Legends of Fashion: Thierry Mugler come about? 

Just over a year ago, a publishing project management company working for RBA in Barcelona was looking for specialists to write the volumes of the Leyendas de la Moda collection, when one of the authors, Marisa Fatás, recommended that they take a look at my profile. They contacted me and, after letting them know about my experience and after a brief chat, they commissioned me to write the book. I have to say that they gave me the opportunity to choose between a few brands to write their monograph, and I chose Mugler. So, it has been a privilege, really.

• What has the process been like? 

It has been hard, but it has been one of the best experiences I've had as a fashion historian so far. Although it is a work of popularisation (I was asked, in fact, to bear in mind that it was not aimed at a specialised public), I have had to carry out difficult research. There are many secondary sources on Mugler, but every monograph ended up repeating the same concepts about his career. So I had to resort to primary sources, newspaper archives and a recent issue of Griffé, which did a tremendous amount of research using the firm's archives. In addition, the editorial wanted to give a lot of weight to the evolution as a brand, as a company, without abandoning the analysis of collections and fashion shows. So, taking into account that it is a company that has been around for almost fifty years, covering womenswear, menswear and perfume, it has meant a lot of work in terms of compilation, selection, synthesis and construction of a monograph that, within the limits of the length imposed by the assignment, would provide a 360º vision, as complete as possible.

• What did you learn from it, and what was the biggest challenge you faced? 

Obviously, the biggest learning has been about Mugler. About the brand, but also about Manfred, who I didn't want to give up talking about, because he created his signature and was at the heart of some of the revolutions in the history of contemporary fashion. And the biggest challenge... Probably two or three, not one. The deadlines, of course. The editor, Laia, with whom I've been in constant communication, has been very good, making certain deadlines more flexible. But I've had to go at a fast pace to meet the chapter deadlines. Then, I have to say, the search for photographs in image banks has been very tiring. There are a lot of gaps when it comes to the brand's first fashion shows, and if we go back to Café de Paris, which was the first brand founded by Manfred, there is no accessible visual documentation in the editorial context in which we have been working.

• Tell us a little about Mugler. What does this designer mean to you for the history of fashion and for the sector? 

A lesson in courage and in the alignment of his values with the career he developed. Undoubtedly, Mugler was a key player on the road to vindicating an idea of sexualised femininity based on the self-awareness of the power of the body, in all its diversity. Along the lines of Paco Rabanne, Helmut Newton in photography, his colleague Gaultier, the eroticisation and sexualisation pronounced in his designs was not accompanied by submission or objectification as an object to be consumed by the other. For example, the Harley bustier, which transforms the woman's body into a motorbike, yes, but driven by her. But apart from the aesthetic and identity milestones he contributed, both for men and women, or his achievements with the gourmand perfume Angel, Mugler was consistent with his own vision of what the creation and communication of his brand should be, to the point that, when he was pressured to subordinate his universe to the creative Death Star that corporatism tends to be, he withdrew. Full stop. A man who had managed to sell thousands of tickets to his shows for thousands of francs. And, of course, Manfred Mugler signified an expansion of the cultural capital embraced by the industry. In fact, there are certain aspects of him, not the brand, that I would have loved to explain, such as his facet as a photographer, or even how he parodied himself with his cameo in Robert Altman's film, demonstrating a self-critical and reflective spirit.

• If you could write about another designer, who would you write about and why? 

Very difficult to choose. I think, at the moment, I would go for Spanish designers because of the dramatic void we have in the history of Spanish fashion. We have given considerable weight to Balenciaga, which is very good, and, in relation to other names, the temporary exhibitions have been tangential contributions. For example, for Pertegaz or Berhanyer. But there are great forgotten names for good monographs. Many names orbiting.

• The fashion sector is a powerful sector, with a lot of history, a great weight, etc. Do you think it has been sufficiently documented and written about? What branches, areas or aspects would you like to see more research into and why? 

No, not enough has been written. It is a very young discipline, really, and with many fields still to be explored. Just today, with Professor Victoria Vázquez, we have been discussing the lack of a history of patternmaking, for example. What would I like to see more research into? At the moment, I am on this exploratory journey, a transition in my areas of interest, rescuing work, very much from the archive, that I did at the beginning of my doctoral research. But I think that, as I said, it would be a good idea to look at the history of fashion in Spain to give visibility to names that paved the way. I am also very concerned about the history of costume that remains on the margins, on the periphery (not subculture or counterculture).

• Looking to the future, how do you see the short-medium term outlook for the sector? What paths are opening up for students of Fashion Design and Fashion Communication and Management? 

Well, I see that there is a solid path for fashion to continue to shine, and that is the vindication of the knowledge of the cultural capital that builds a firm and, therefore, this industry. Everything starts with creation, and this requires a good base, a good toolbox, and time. For me it is important, if not essential, to train by enhancing analytical and critical thinking. In addition to other professional skills and competencies, this is the main path that must be opened to lead the training of future professionals who end up working on the basis of reflection, ethics and freedom in their choices.