2000s Thierry Mugler Taupe Silk Dress with Studded Shoulders

After extensive research we believe this Thierry Mugler dress was created by Rosemary Rodriguez, formerly of Paco Rabanne, for a limited couture capsule collection circa Spring/Summer 2008. Rodriguez was brought in to revive the dormant fashion House after Thierry Mugler’s retirement in 2003. Her collections from 2008 until 2010 breathed new life into the brand's identity, merging archival reverence with fresh vision, sharp tailoring and structured silhouettes. Rodriguez's tenure was pivotal in the renaissance of the brand, and this dress represents the opening chapter of Mugler’s rebirth.

Tailored from a smooth pinky-taupe silk, the stand-out detail of this ankle length dress is the armour-like embellishment atop the padded shoulders. Slanted tubes of silver-toned metal form a rigid structure that recalls honeycomb. From the centre of each tube falls silver-tone metal chains that hang from the shoulders. The dress is cut in a column silhouette, with a panelled construction that lightly echoes the curves of the body. It is unlined and has a long slit at the front. We have identified similar embellishment in runway pictures from 2016 where you can see that Rodriguez’s earlier designs were revisited by the creative director at the time, David Koma.

Made in France, this piece is in truly excellent vintage condition with no flaws of any note. The fabric composition is 100% Silk. It is labelled a French size 38, which equates to a UK 8-10 or US 4-6, but please check our measurements below as the dress has no stretch.

MEASUREMENTS

BUST - 36 in. (91 cm)

WAIST - 29 in. (74 cm)

HIP - 36-40 in. (91-101 cm)

LENGTH - 58 in. (147 cm)