Conceived as part of the SHOWstudio Shop exhibition 'Practice to Deceive: Smoke & Mirrors in Fashion, Fine Art and Film', over June and July 2011 a selection of fashion designers were invited to re-interpret an all-time fashion classic: the evening tuxedo, or as the French would say, 'Le Smoking'.
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Les Smokings - Mugler
The final live residency of our Les Smokings series saw the design team of Mugler take to the LiveStudio space to construct our last Le Smoking - a truly one-off outfit of latex, slime, glitter and lurid paint devised during a frenzy of creative activity that mirrored the methods of Creative Director Nicola Formichetti and Menswear head Romain Kremer at the house. Watch this film, and see the design process unravelled as a series of expressive vignettes.
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Process Film
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Process Film
Live Stream Q&A
33 Q&A Posts
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Q. noooooo :'( nicopanda come back xoxo
Our Les Smokings session with Nicola is now over, but no doubt he will be back very soon!
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Q. great stream - my favourite yet in the series!
Thank you very much!
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Q. is the jacket staying at SHOWstudio?
The jacket will be staying at SHOWstudio Shop, and will be installed in our gallery space very soon!
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Q. The music is great, from what artist is it?
Puccini's Madame Butterfly
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Q. Nicola - Being on top of the world and working with the best, how do you stay humble?
That's not what people say on blogs at the moment! I always try to be nice to people. I was really disappointed about all these negative comments about me, but I suppose everything is recorded and people can take any comments - even a joke. But I'm not like that at all. But I realised people want to hear what I think, so I want to use that in a positive way.
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Q. Haha...he looks like the statue of liberty :-D Kisses, Fréderic
Thanks!
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Q. What was the purpose of the corset in the beginning?
Basically, my first idea was to cover the suit with elastic - a corset, armbands, a tighness instead of the volume. It didn't work because the fabric was too stiff. It was an experiment but it didn't really work.
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Q. Do you believe fashion houses should promote a certain lifestyle of attitude, or should the focus be the fashion only? If so what is the Mugler lifestyle or Mugler man? I LOVE YOU NICOPANDA. FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @RAAFAERANA
I think it should be about a dream, that feeling that you want to be part of something that is bigger than fashion. The clothes, the fashion, is very important but the smell around it is important. As important as the clothing. My Mugler lifestyle is... I'm trying to figure it out. It's something that smells of digital, technical but I want to create something new with the Mugler DNA. It's changing, we've only done one season, w're still working on it. It's a constant evolution. In a season or so, we won't have to explain it. Everyone will know.
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Q. What are you listening to right now?
Maria Callas, then techno
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Q. Looking spectacular from where I'm sitting Mr Nicopanda. Marian
Thank you!
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Q. Do you usually listen to music while shooting?
Please see below!
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Q. How is the green laser type light effect generated
Via Nick Knight's first assistant Zoe: we drafted in a disco laser light from ClubTech!
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Q. What Thierry Mugler doing now, and how did you become it's creative director?
Mr Mugler is working on ther perfume side and creative directing that, and I'm the doing the fashion side. He's also doing his personal projects, Cirque du Soleil. As creative director - I was lucky! The CEO of the company contacted me by email, and we started talking. I first of all turned it down because I could never do what Mr Mugler did, then I thought about it again and thought: 'fuck it!' I do my thing! I was scared when it started because for me it was such a big thing. I did it for me, for my friends and for the industry to prove a stylist could have that role. It encourages other people to do that in the industry. Why can't a hairdresser become a creative director? It's great to see these collaborations. We're moving to a complete new territory.
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Q. Romain and Nicola, are you happy with the end result? Or is it still not done yet?
Not quite finished yet!
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Q. What is the right time to involve new people in your core creative time? What are you looking for?
I'm always looking for new people, I love new people, new ideas, it's constantly changing. I'm also keeping the core collaborators, always. I work with the same people for a long time, interns, assistants and kids. I have a lot around, they come and go and keep it fresh all the time.
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Q. I guess the piece you will create today will go on sale at the Show studio Shop. Who would you be happy to purchase it? Not necessarily a name but where do you see this piece going?
I want someone that would wear it and go out in it. Someone that would work it. It shouldn't be treated as an art object, it should we worn in its own way.
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Q. Nicola, do you always listen to opera music while you're working?
Yeah, opera and classical music. It makes me really calm and creative. And I like to switch to the opposite, techno music, to keep the mood. I love Maria Callas, Rachmaninov. But loud!
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Q. Will this live residency inspire future collections for Formichetti?
For Mugler? Yes of course! Already we're talking - the shoes looked beautiful, and we were thinking we should do shoes with glitter. The great thing of collaborating is that new ideas come up, fresh things all the time.
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Q. How is the model doing?
Clark has glitter in his mouth, but he's doing good!
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Q. What is the material used for the hair and hands ?
Latex paint with 'slime' on top and lots of glitter!
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Q. maybe somebody should wipe his nose
Nose has been inadvertently wiped while Clark was drinking!
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Q. Please guys, marry me! It looks so great!
Ha ha! Thank you!
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Q. This is beautiful, and so is the music - what is it?
Madame Butterfly sung by Callas, courtesy of Spotify.
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Q. Is the paint suitable for your skin??
Yes - I covered Rico with this once, for the A/W 2011 images and he was completely fine. Well, maybe his skin went a bit red...
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Q. I have a question for Nicola, what was working with Rico like, and will there be another time where we'll see both of you together? And awesome work by the way.
Oh yes! In September in my pop-up star Nicola's in New York, as part of New York fashion week. Rico will be my shop manager! He's such a sweet guy, so warm and very serious about his art and performances. I'm sure we're going to do something together then.
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Q. what paint works best on fabric?
Latex paint I really recommend! If you get bored of colour or fabric of a garment but like the shape, just throw latex paint over it!
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Q. hi nicola, im a massive fan and im truly inspired and in awe of your vision and view on fashion and i love how your looks are edgy/punk/daring yet wearable. my question for you is what is your creative process into making these clothes and what give you inspiration. i love you nicopanda, follow me on twitter @WesKills :D xoxo
For me, I work with a mixture of instinct and colaboration with my team and other creatives, so I don't really think so much. I'm more hands on - I just think 'let's do it, and see what happens.'
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Q. What's the soundtrack?
Puccini's Madame Butterfly to start
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Q. how much has the east end of london influenced formichetti's creative vision
I moved here when I was 19, and I lived in east London for ten years, so all my inspirations come from east London. How kids dress, the club scene.
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Q. What was the inspiration for Les Smokings? Love you all! Greetings from Holland!
Evolution. Alive fabric.
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Q. Hi, Nicola and Romain! Do you think more fashion houses should embrace the role of a stylist to be its creative director, rather than just a designer?
Yes! I think it should be a combination of designers and stylists working together. They compliment one another. I know so many stylists that are great designers, and designers that are great stylists.
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Q. What time will you be here till?
We're here until the job's done! Around 13:30 BST, we think...
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Q. Soooo excited !!! Say hello to Alex Fury if he's arround !! Good luck you all ! :-> A.
Alex is on set and covered in glitter right now! Thank you!