Gentle Monster Resurrects Mugler’s ‘Les Insectes’
The Korean eyewear innovators have the fashion world abuzz with a Mugler collaboration inspired by the archival ‘Fourmis’ headgear.
The Korean eyewear innovators have the fashion world abuzz with a Mugler collaboration inspired by the archival ‘Fourmis’ headgear.
When it comes to archival fashion, it’s all about Mugler. From Beyoncé to Cardi B, today’s biggest A-listers can’t get enough of the otherworldly designs by the late couturier Manfred Thierry Mugler. Well, thanks to Gentle Monster and Mugler creative director Casey Cadwallader, everyone can get their hands on a legendary piece of the Parisian brand. The Korean eyewear innovators' latest designer collaboration sees a reimagining of the futuristic aesthetic of Mugler into a stunning collection of avant-garde sunglasses and optical frames dubbed the Spiral 01 and 02, inspired by one of the couturiers most iconic designs.
This collaboration seamlessly blends Gentle Monster's cutting-edge eyewear technology with Mugler's bold, sculptural designs, resulting in pieces that are as much works of art as they are functional accessories. Inspired by the maison’s 1997 haute couture collection ‘Les Insectes’, the Spiral 01 frames reimagine the bug-eyed ‘Fourmis’ eyewear. Only appropriate as the collection looked to the otherworldly forms of insects’ exoskeletons. Mugler’s bold vision for couture along with a spectacular show with models mimicking the movements of insects resulted in a performance that has been documented time and time again in the fashion history books.
To capture the theatrics of Mugler’s shows, Gentle Monster has enlisted models Colin Jones and Georgia Palmer to star in their eyewear campaign lensed by creative Theo Liu. Paying homage to Manfred Thierry Mugler and Helmut Newton, the imagery is a sleek blend of high fashion and avant-garde art, capturing the essence of both brands' daring aesthetics.
The Mugler x Gentle Monster collection is set for release on 18 July and will be sold through Mugler and Gentle Monster’s official online and offline stores, as well as select multi-brand shops globally. To celebrate the collection, special activations will be held in Seoul and Shanghai. These ephemeral spaces will demonstrate the powerful identities of the two brands through the movement of a kinetic structure, expressing the boldness and dynamism of Mugler and Gentle Monster.