Rapper Cardi B wears a Thierry Mugler design as she arrives with rapper Offset at the Grammy Awards in 2019.

Rapper Cardi B wears a Thierry Mugler design as she arrives with rapper Offset at the Grammy Awards in 2019. / AFP via Getty Images

French fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler's signature style could be summed up in one Cardi B dress — highly constructed and outlandishly dramatic.

Mugler, who died Sunday at 73, launched his brand in 1973 and defined haute couture over several decades. He became known for his architectural style, defined by broad shoulders and a tiny waist, The Associated Press reports.

Lady Gaga walks the runway during the Thierry Mugler show at Paris Fashion Week in March 2011.

Lady Gaga walks the runway during the Thierry Mugler show at Paris Fashion Week in March 2011. / Getty Images

Mugler's theatrical creations made him a favorite of celebrities like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Diana Ross and Kim Kardashian West.

His knack for drama extended beyond the runways and galas. He was a dancer, an acrobat and a bodybuilder, and he was fascinated with the human body as art. In 2010, The New York Times described him as a "240-pound spectacle of muscle and nipple and tattoo."

Dancers perform in a 2014 dress rehearsal of

Dancers perform in a 2014 dress rehearsal of "The Wyld — Not of this world," a show directed and designed by Mugler, in Berlin. / DPA/AFP via Getty Images

A costume at the

A costume at the "Thierry Mugler: Couturissime" exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris in 2021. / AFP via Getty Images

Mugler's death was announced on his Instagram account. No cause was given.

He was the second legendary fashion icon to die this month. André Leon Talley died last week at age 73, reportedly of a heart attack.

Mugler is surrounded by Nofretete and Aliens, characters from his

Mugler is surrounded by Nofretete and Aliens, characters from his "Wyld" show in 2014 in Berlin. / Getty Images

This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog.

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