Visual Beauty for Mugler's Spring-Summer Collection [2021]

The latest Mugler’s Spring-Summer 2021 Collection is finally here! Even the pandemic spread couldn’t stop the legendary couturier from presenting his mind-blowing masterpieces to the world. This year, the show transferred to the digital format, making a real triumph among millions of viewers who watched a two-part SS21 film.

Thierry Mugler made a name for himself as one of the most talented, world-recognized couturiers. His talent and one-of-a-kind sense of style helped Thierry launch his own fashion house. Mugler clothing is worn by such A-class celebs as Beyonce, Demi Moore, Dua Lipa, and Miley Cyrus.

In his interview withVogue, Casey Cadwallader, Thierry Mugler designer and creative director, admitted that it had been a revolutionary year for the brand. Cadwallader said they had to figure out alternative ways to present a new collection to the public. Their goal was to make the audience feel the same excitement as if when watching the show in the original format.

The bombshell success of the Thierry Mugler collection proves that they coped with the challenge ultimately. Of course, the SS21 film wouldn’t make such a breakthrough without a vast production team that stands behind its stunning visual and sound effects.

Mugler’s SS21 film has caused a mighty furor in the fashion industry. Of course, the most exciting moments have remained behind the scenes. The huge team of makeup artists, choreographers, and cameramen together with a stage director and producers joined their forces to present the Thierry Mugler fashion show in the best way ever.

The opening starts with gorgeous Bella Hadid walking on air and heading up to the catwalk to show off her graceful defile. In the next shots, Omahyra Mota, Irina Shayk, Ash Foo, and other supermodels in stunning illusion gowns steal the spotlight on the runway. The whole show is filmed in reverse, making it even more thrilling to watch.

The production team had to think outside the box to combine the legendary couturier’s mastery and digital technology. The powerful visual effects send shivers down our spines when we see slender models performing incredible acrobatic stunts worthy of Cirque du Soleil artists. Specialists from the Digital Beauty Work, who were involved in Mugler’s SS21 film production, masterfully presented the show’s live-action part, blending the border between reality and fiction.

The post-production stage deserves particular attention. Video retouching is an integral element of filmmaking, which defines whether a final product will be as great as producers imagine. The goal was to deliver the models’ natural beauty via the screen and, at the same time, to spice up the end picture with stunning visual illusions. Specialists had to use skin retouching techniques to adjust the colors and polish the final presentation. 

Every beauty retoucher knows that the tune-up quality directly defines how people will perceive a finished product. Eye color, skin texture, makeup, accessories, and many other nuances have the power to boost the picture at the editing stage when high-end retouching services are used. In this regard, the SS21 film managed to exceed the highest expectations. Experts from the Digital Beauty Work VFX studio combined CGI technology and motion capture to show the runway’s magic to viewers.

In his interview, Casey Cadwallader added that he had always dreamed about creating something of this kind. The creative director said he had wanted to make models do something extraordinary and breathtaking on the catwalks, but it was too risky to perform amid live shows. That’s why Cadwallader fell in love with the idea to transfer the Thierry Mugler fashion show to the brand-new digital format.

Nowadays, visual effects are everywhere and it should be taken for granted. They help to implement not simple tasks designed by the creative director, to save time and achieve the desired result. More than 300 shots were processed manually to get the depth of the image for this film. A lot of cleanups of floor and background, unique transitions between shots, compositing work where Bella Hadid jumps, video retouching and difficult face replacement work.

No doubt, the SS21 film has revolutionized the fashion universe. Since its debut, Mugler’s show is on everyone’s lips. The cooperation of two industry gurus, Digital Beauty Work and FRENDER, masterminded by Max Colt, award-winning VFX production supervisor, hit the target. The fashion community will keep discussing this masterpiece for a long time. The show organizers paid their respects to the whole team involved in Mugler’s SS21 film production. Watch Mugler’s SS21 film Part 2 below.