Some people will always remember Thierry Mugler for his impact on eighties fashion—strong-shouldered, futuristic, Blade Runner-style frocks that received a bit of a revival last year when Beyoncé enlisted the reclusive designer to costume her I Am Sasha Fierce tour.
But it’s really with fragrance that he’s made his biggest mark. Through
a long-standing partnership with Clarins, Mugler revolutionized the
perfume industry in 1992 by introducing Angel, a newly minted
“gourmand” scent that blended foodie aromas with a strong patchouli
base. Not content to rest on his laurels, he did it again in 2005 with
Alien. “Thierry wanted to create something that was the contrast to
Angel,” olfactory consultant Pierre Aulas recalls of Alien, an amber
eau.
“A feminine Buddha” is how Mugler actually described the concept for
Alien to Aulas—”a woman who arrives on the earth with a positive
message.
