Thierry Mugler: I Quit Fashion Because I Had Had Enough

Thierry Mugler spoke to the New York Times, one of the few interviews the designer has agreed to since the label he created in 1974 went under eight years ago. Over the last several years, Thierry has taken to bodybuilding and plastic surgery, and now calls himself Manfred. He also ditched designing, explaining:

"The reason I quit fashion was that I had had enough of spending my time always being on my knees, making other people look amazing and fabulous," he said. "I used fashion to express myself as much as I could. But at some point, it was not enough."

He started working on a line of perfumes. According to his creative director Christophe de Lataillade:

"The first three to six months, I was ready to quit every day," he said. "It was a nightmare. You had to be available night and day if he wanted organic apples or flowers. You had to cater to his every need."

Mugler's most recent scent, called Womanity, is described by the Times as "a commingling of figs and caviar, a sweet-salty combination as treacly as a chocolate-covered pretzel." The marketing campaign involves a website where women can talk about their womanity.