Mugler Fall/Winter 2011 RTW

There were two things that made the Mugler collection so anticipated: talks of Lady Gaga walking for the show, and the fact that this was to be Mugler's womenswear debut.  While the drama and celebrity appearance did bring up the excitement, it was extremely difficult to get a sense of the clothing with the lines of cathedral arches in the way, and the dark lighting used to create the atmosphere.  Even for those who attended the show, the opportunity to really see the clothes were slim.  Nicola Formichetti started with a sharply tailored black pantsuit, and what followed were black, tailored pieces in a mix of gloss and sheer:

And then, Lady Gaga arrived smoking and prowling around:

As she left, shots of white, blue and nude started to appear on highly structured dresses and overtop skintight leather pants:

Then, there was a shift to an eerily dark, and at times, beastly portrayal:

In a flash, the beast-in-the-wood was taken out to make way for ghostly dresses equipped with sculptural molding:

And finally, Lady Gaga gyrated down the runway in a white corset, whipping a stole in the same way she whipped her hair:

This was a good debut for Mugler, but it wasn't a great debut.  It was fun, and there were strong references to Thierry Mugler with the accentuated shoulders, but there needed to be something with a bit more oomph.

One thing that this show does bring up is the use of models. This show obviously required a certain ferociousness from the models, and it was unfortunate to see two models trying to capture that fierce spirit, but succeeding in only making some cringe-worthy, ankle-snapping stumbles on their precarious heels.  It seems that in shows that require such theatricality, only experienced models can truly display the clothing in their best light (however, I was disappointed to see Jessica Stam - one of my favourite models -with a lackluster walk).  Luckily, Coco Rocha - my #1 model - exuded enough vivacity while remaining upright on her heels to make up for all the embarrassing missteps made earlier on.  She almost rivaled Lady Gaga, who stomped out in sky-high platforms walking and twisting like she was born in them.

Watch the entire show here.

Image Source: Style.com