ARI SHAPIRO,HOST:
Three greats in the fashion world have recently died. The former Vogue creative director died in January. He was 73.
There is an excerpt of anHIVed recording.
ANDRE LEON TALLEY: You can be a descendant of an aristocracy without being born into it.
At a time when they were few and far between, Talley was the rare Black editor. He told NPR in 2020 that his presence could cause problems.
An excerpt from an interview with NPR.
As you show who you are to the world, certain people just have the fear of seeing someone tall and Black come on the surface.
The fashion designer died at 73.
There is an excerpt of anHIVed recording.
It is a show for big kids, like I am.
Mugler was known for his funky silhouettes. He dressed stars like Grace Jones.
“I’m Coming Out” is a song.
Diana Ross said she had to let it show. There is a new me.
In November of last year, Abloh died. He died at the age of 41.
There is an excerpt of anHIVed recording.
My goal is to understand what this new ethos and design can be, like with new collections, garments, and new ways that fashion can relate to the public.
There is a song called “SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC”.
Robin Givhan, the Washington Post’s senior critic at large, reflected on what these losses in the fashion industry mean.
You wouldn’t have a sense of institutional creative knowledge and expertise. You also lose the knowledge and the understanding of the business.
The clothes we wear, the fashion we value, they mirror our culture and how we see ourselves in the future.
There is a song called “SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC”.
Ari is from NPR. It is Friday, February 11.
It’s considered from NPR. In the music video for George Michael’s 1992 hit “Too Funky,” models are dressed in the best of styles.
“Too FunKY” is a song.
George Michael said that he was too funky for him.
Their silhouettes are big and bold, adorned with ornate armor.
“Too FunKY” is a song.
I watch your fingers work.
For him, everything was about empowering women and making them provocative and strong without sacrificing their beauty.
Dana Thomas is a fashion and culture journalist.
He loved the shape of the Jessica Rabbit figure.
There is an excerpt of anHIVed recording.
Kim, I’m Vogue. It’s Kim.
Mugler worked with KimKardashian to create a look for the Met Gala. She told Vogue as soon as she heard the theme.
There is an excerpt of anHIVed recording.
It’s camp. Then it’s Mr. Mugler. He is the king of camp. He invented camp.
The Met Gala gown that was dripping in crystals that looked like rain was just amazing in its femininity. All that Mugler was, and all that KimKardashian tries to be, came together.
He was a photographer, designer for Cirque du Soleil, and also a designer for Beyblade. At a time when that was unusual, he was unapologetically queer. When I talked to Thomas, I asked her what she did for the LGBTQ people in fashion.
He was out, and he was proud in a time when it wasn’t really done. In the gay community of South Beach, Thierry Mugler lived and worked out on the beach.
Yes, in Miami.
In Miami Beach, Thomas went to clubs and had a great time. He became quite a body builder. The pictures that came out in later years were fantastic. A brave and bold person.
We’ve talked about a few of his signature looks, his signature designs, and moments that will live on in history. If someone listening to this is unfamiliar with his work, what would you tell them to look for?
The insects collection was the most beautiful. I don’t know how to say it, but he made these women look like they were in a forest.
He has women covered in scales.
Scales and antennas…
Like a carapace, antenna wings. It’s positive.
It’s just magic.
It’s possible to see the echoes of 20 years later, when people are transformed into creatures that are clearly referencing things that he was doing in.
THOMAS: ’95. If someone wisened up on the West Coast and realized the potential of designing comic costumes for them, it would be amazing. Nothing would have looked the same.
I guess they will have to look at his archives for inspiration.
A million bucks, Thomas.
Dana Thomas is a fashion and culture journalist based in Paris. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Thomas.
There is a song called “SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC”.
Abloh wore many hats. He studied civil engineering and architecture.
He came up through pop culture, not traditional design channels. He was good at getting the gaps between different disciplines to be bridged. He had a large social media following before he came to fashion. He changed the image of a fashion designer.
Booth Moore is the West Coast executive editor of Women’s Wear Daily.
A lot of what is expected of the industry is a result of Virgil.
Robin Givhan of The Washington Post says Abloh is influenced by a lot.
He was influenced by a lot more than just what we think of as a clothing line. He was influenced by skater gear and Japanese street culture. His work had a lot of things on top of each other.
He wouldn’t be put into a box.
There is a lesson that he leaves. You don’t have a point of view as a designer if you didn’t study fashion design. Just because you are a Black man doesn’t mean that you can’t design sneakers and hoodies.
There is an excerpt of anHIVed recording.
TALLEY: I am reporting live from Paris.
Headlines about his death often described him as a pioneer.
I think those terms are thrown around a bit too much, but I think they are accurate in the case of Andre Leon Talley.
Givhan says that Talley entered the fashion industry in the ’70s, when it was an overwhelmingly white and rarified space.
For a long time, he was the only black man in the position of creative director of a major glossy fashion publication. I think people will look back at his career and think about what it meant to have the weight of a community on your shoulders because you’re the only one who has a seat at the table.
Edward Enninful, the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue, wrote on the social media site. Without you, there wouldn’t be me. Givhan says that it might sound cliche, but it was actually open doors for the fashion industry.
He allowed people to see and imagine something that wasn’t there before he showed up.
There is an excerpt of anHIVed recording.
Something beyond the dress or the belt, something beyond the label, something that has more long- lasting value is what Talley hopes to impart.
The fantasy, beauty and future of fashion can be traced back to the designers who shaped it. You’re listening to NPR. I’m Ari.
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