Rick Genest Nicola Formichetti - P 2012
After little more than two years at the creative helm of Mugler, Nicola Formichetti and the French fashion house have mutually agreed to part ways.
The news of this style split came a day after the 35-year-old designer, who is best known as Lady Gaga’s stylist, tweeted to his nearly 210,000 followers, “Big announcements coming this week!!”
What other declarations are planned by Formichetti remain to be seen, but rumors are swirling that he is joining Italian brand Diesel, part of Renzo Rosso’s Only the Brave group (which also has holdings in Maison Martin Margiela, Marni and Viktor & Rolf), as either the label’s creative director or as a joint collaborator. Either way, Formichetti’s life post-Mugler will be plenty busy as he has been styling Lady Gaga since 2009, holds the role of fashion director at the singer’s Haus of Gaga empire as well as Japanese brand Uniqlo, and plans to launch his namesake label, Formichetti, sometime this year.
Of the split, Joel Palix, president of Clarins Fragrance Group and director general of Mugler, said in a statement, “Nicola has been instrumental in attracting a new audience which is undeniably crucial for the future strategy of the house. He will be a historical part of the Mugler legacy and known as the force that catapulted us forward.”
Indeed from the onset, Formichetti was determined to put his own stamp on the French brand by dropping the “Thierry” from the house’s name and having Gaga walk his debut show for fall/winter 2011.
“I’m always trying new things, and so I never stay in one place,” Formichetti said to T Magazine in 2010. “I like to move forward, which is why my career is made up of so many different parts: I direct magazines, I consult for fashion brands, I work with other artists, etc. I try to do as much as possible to keep inspired and learn about new things.”
As of late, love has not been in the air for high-profile fashion pairings, with Formichetti joining Stefano Pilati (YSL), Nicolas Ghesquière (Balenciaga) and John Galliano (Dior) as major designers who have willingly (or not so willingly) abdicated their respective roles in the last couple of years.
