1. The design comes from the Mugler fashion house’s 20th anniversary collection
The silver armor worn by Zendaya is one of designer Thierry Mugler’s most iconic creations, displayed during his 20th anniversary couture show in 1995.
While fashion shows usually only last 15-20 minutes, Thierry Mugler’s performances are an art performance that lasts longer than that. The Fall-Winter 1995 Haute Couture Show was extremely majestic, lasting an hour, and was even broadcast live on French television during prime time.
The collection was presented by legends in the modeling industry such as Carmen Dell’Orefice, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Jerry Hall, along with rising young models at that time, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova and Kate Moss. Young heiress Patty Hearst, granddaughter of tycoon William Randolph Hearst (owner of the Harper’s Bazaar magazine brand), even did a striptease right on stage.
2. Thierry Mugler was inspired by the sci-fi movie Metropolis
Released in 1927, the film Metropolis follows Johann Fredersen, the ruler of a giant futuristic city where state-of-the-art vehicles whiz past skyscrapers. The wealthy here roam around in splendid costumes, enjoying the joy of spacious gardens and playgrounds.
At first glance, Metropolis is a modern, well-off city, meeting all the living needs of its residents. But underneath the flashy exterior lies inhumanity. Deep underground is a city full of workers, where the poor are banished to do hard labor, serving the modern living purposes of the noble class.
The film tells about the conflict between rulers and workers. In it, the first feminized automaton appears as a disturbing symbol of sexual obsession, destruction, and anxieties about treating humans as human beings. machines in the age of industrial mass production.
It’s no surprise that Thierry Mugler was attracted to Metropolis because of its theme of combining women and machines. Because he has long been a pioneer fashion designer in promoting futuristic beauty in the Space Age.
3. The product took 6 months to make and weighs 30kg
This robot-style armor is made from metal and Plexiglas acrylic glass, taking 6 months to make. The product is a collaboration between Thierry Mugler and long-time collaborator Jean-Jacques Urcun.
On the runway, model Jo Krasevich appeared wearing a large black hat and a thick purple satin coat. She then peeled off the fabric to reveal the glittering metal and plastic armor underneath.
The special heritage armor demonstrates Mugler’s creative intelligence as it clearly displays the fusion of man and machine, all shiny surfaces contrasting with the flesh underneath. Firmly covering the body, the outfit is still highly erotic thanks to the cutouts that reveal the wearer’s nipples and buttocks but cannot be touched.
4. It seems that this armor cannot be worn a second time
To create the armor, Thierry Mugler borrowed the body of his muse Jo Krasevich. The armor is molded to the body of Jo, who is 1m79 tall. Therefore, perhaps no one thought that this armor could be worn again by another person.
Zendaya, with a height of 178cm and a slim figure has a similar body type to Jo Krasevich and was therefore able to wear the costume again for the Dune: Sand Planet 2 premiere. The difference between the two is that Zendaya wore skin-colored bodysuit inside, but Jo doesn’t!
The original model praised the 9X actress on her personal Instagram page: “This design weighs up to 30kg and requires 7 people to put on and take off. That girl never complained, especially when she had to walk on the sand. [Zendaya] did great.”
5. Controversial design with a feminist look
Like other works by Thierry Mugler, this set of silver armor has sparked controversy since its debut.
Many extreme opinions believe that clothing has turned women into shiny objects. Meanwhile, the French designer asserted, in conversation with art historian Linda Nochlin, that armor is a feminist game and that women are completely in charge of the feminine game in their own way. Surname.
Now, there’s nothing more impressive than Zendaya, famous for its looks from the brand’s archives, continuing to honor a piece of fashion history through its heritage armor. Thierry Mugler’s work had the opportunity to reappear to create a classic red carpet moment for the Dune and Metropolis star that will certainly continue to be returned and interpreted through many artistic inspirations in the future.
