What about Montana?

Cathy Horn in today's New York Times reviewed the collection for Thierry Mugler - a remake of some sort with the help of the artist Lady Gaga. Susan Menkes did a video interview with Gaga along with fashion designer Nicola Formichetti about his first women's collection for Thierry Mugler at Paris Fashion Week. Gaga and Mr. Formichetti were probably not even born at the height of Mugler's career in the 1980s. Collaboration or not, the show is about the resurrection of Thierry Mugler from the dead. Gaga as inspiration is a stretch, I think. The show obviously got a lot of press, and who knows if the Mugler brand will again be sellable for the masses. But what I remember about the Mugler brand in its heyday was his perfume and the muscle shirts that gay boys were wearing everywhere in the '80s.

Mugler was an '80s icon, but the enfant terrible who truly deserves a second look is my favorite fashion icon, Claude Montana.  Claude Montana ruled the '80s along with Mugler. He founded his own fashion house, the House of Montana, in 1979 but went bankrupt in 1997. He also ruled the House of Lanvin in the early '90s. Claude Montana is still alive and lives somewhere in Spain.

I am lucky to have two Montana garments in the store. One is a vintage '80s black blazer with big shoulder pads and gold buttons, and the other one is a gorgeous gold silk top with square shoulders. It was the '80s after all. Here is a photo of the latter item. Please visit our store for additional information on these two garments.

So with the help of Gaga and Mr. Formichetti, we can say that the '80s fashions are being revived to the fullest. But back in the day, Montana ruled!